hs-CRP for Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes: Problems in Daily Practice

Abstract

Serum levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) have been found to be a strong predictor for increased cardiovascular disease risk associated with type 2 diabetes independent of traditional risk factors. However, it is well known that hs- CRP level is influenced by various factors. In this study, we evaluated the nonmetabolic factors affecting hs-CRP levels and their frequency, and we studied whether measuring hs-CRP has a clinical significance as a predictor for prognosis, in patients with type 2 diabetes. Ninety-one consecutive patients (56 female, 35 male, mean (±SD) age: 53.7±10.2 years) with type 2 diabetes mellitus admitted to the Diabetes Outpatient Clinic of Istanbul Goztepe Training and Research Hospital were enrolled in this study. Medical history, physical examination, and laboratory findings of these subjects were evaluated in terms of the factors influencing hs-CRP level. 16.4% of patients had at least one of the non-metabolic factors increasing hs-CRP levels. Frequencies for smoking, hormone replacement therapy, acute infections and chronic infections were 14.2%, 3.2%, 7.6% and 4.3%, respectively. In the present study, at least one of the non-metabolic factors capable of increasing hs-CRP levels was found in one of every six patients with type 2 diabetes, suggesting a limited use of hs-CRP for predicting cardiovascular risk.