Associations of plasma high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among middle-aged and elderly individuals

Abstract

BackgroundThe association of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) with mortality is controversial. We aimed to investigate the associations of hsCRP concentrations with the risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality and identify potential modifying factors affecting these associations among middle-aged and elderly individuals.MethodsThis community-based prospective cohort study included 14,220 participants aged 50+ years (mean age: 64.9 years) from the Health and Retirement Study. Cox proportional hazard models were employed to estimate the associations between the hsCRP concentrations and the risk of all-cause and cause-specific mortality with adjustment for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, self-reported medical history, and other potential confounders.ResultsIn total, 1730 all-cause deaths were recorded, including 725 cardiovascular- and 417 cancer-related deaths, after an 80,572 person-year follow-up (median: 6.4 years; range: 3.6–8.1 years). The comparisons of the groups with the highest (quartile 4) and lowest (quartile 1) hsCRP concentrations revealed that the adjusted hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were 1.50 (1.31–1.72) for all-cause mortality, 1.44 (1.13–1.82) for cardiovascular mortality, and 1.67 (1.23–2.26) for cancer mortality. The associations between high hsCRP concentrations and the risks of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality were similar in the men and women (P for interaction > 0.05).ConclusionsAmong middle-aged and older individuals, elevated hsCRP concentration could increase the risk of all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality in men and women.

Associations Between High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein and All-Cause Mortality Among Oldest-Old in Chinese Longevity Areas: A Community-Based Cohort Study

“…It is also important to note that sex was not a modifier in our study. Some studies showed a positive association in both sexes ( 9 , 24 , 27 ), while significant differences appeared to exist in a single sex [mostly men ( 29 , 42 , 43 )]. However, whether men or women were at a greater risk remains controversial ( 9 , 24 , 43 , 44 ).…”

“…CRP has been commonly assayed for infections (11), in-hospital complications (12), prognosis influences (13), and aging-related health outcomes in clinical applications, especially cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk (14,15). Higher hsCRP levels have been proposed as a predictor of all-cause mortality in many (16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28) but not all studies (29). Inconsistent results may exist due to sex, ethnic or age differences in the populations, and the strength of the association also varied across studies, from 1.14 to 3.64 (hazard ratios or relative risks).…”

The influence of dietary interventions on paraclinical parameters in patients with metabolic syndrome

“…CRP is correlated with a high mortality risk factor. Some studies associate CRP with several elderly diseases, including MS, diabetes or obesity, but also with cancer and cardiovascular risk 14 . In the group with diet therapy, a statistically significant reduction of CRP was obtained, which implies that diet therapy is an effective monotherapy alternative.…”

Iron deficiency and biomarkers of inflammation: a 3-year prospective analysis of the DO-HEALTH trial

“…With aging, loss of homeostasis alters the production of cytokines, leading to a low-grade chronic systemic pro-inflammatory state characterized by permanently elevated levels of IL-6 and CRP. This state, also called "inflammaging" [9], is considered to be a promotor of accelerated aging [10], age-related syndromes such as frailty [11][12][13][14], and mortality [15][16][17][18] in older adults. Thus, capturing iron status among older adults may be relevant to the promotion of healthy aging and the prevention of age-related chronic diseases.…”