Evaluation of high sensitivity C - reactive protein and serum lipid profile in prehypertension and essential hypertension.

ABSTRACT

Background: Hypertension is a common, asymptomatic, readily detectable disease that leads to lethal complications if left untreated. Vascular inflammation may be involved in both the initiation and development of hypertension that is evident from the elevated levels of inflammatory markers like Tumor necrosis factor-α, Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP) found in people with hypertension with no evidence of cardiovascular disease. hsCRP is associated with an increased risk of incident hypertension at all baseline blood pressures and among individuals without traditional coronary heart disease risk factors. Objectives: The present cross-sectional study was an attempt to evaluate the relationship of serum hsCRP levels and serum Lipid profile in prehypertensives and hypertensive. Material & methods: The study group included thirty diagnosed cases of prehypertension and hypertension each, attending medicine OPD at a tertiary care hospital. A healthy group of normotensive volunteers were taken as controls. Fasting blood samples were collected for measurement of serum lipid profile and hsCRP (by CLIA).Results: There was statistically significant rise in hsCRP levels in hypertensives as compared to controls and normotensives (p<0.001). The concentration of cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-C were significantly high in hypertensives as compared with normotensives (p<0.001). Conclusion: Findings of higher levels of hsCRP in hypertension along with atherogenic lipid profile suggests that elevated hsCRP and hypertension can be independent determinants of cardiovascular risk.