C-Reactive Protein Concentration is More Strongly Related to Metabolic Syndrome in Women Than in Men-The Minoh Study-

Abstract

he metabolic syndrome (MS) is characterized by the clustering of the following components based on insulin resistance: obesity, impaired glucose tolerance, raised insulin, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. 1,2 Because of the worldwide epidemic of obesity and sedentary lifestyle, MS is becoming increasingly common and is most important because of its association with subsequent development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular events. 3,4 Inflammation is now widely recognized as a central feature of atherosclerosis, and it plays a particularly critical role in the destabilization of the fibrous cap, predisposing to the plaque rupture that triggers most episodes of coronary thrombosis. 5 C-reactive protein (CRP), the classic acute-phase reactant, is an extremely sensitive systemic marker of inflammation. Recent studies have demonstrated that elevated concentrations of CRP with a new high-sensitive CRP assay, although still for the most part in the healthy reference range, are independently predictive of cardiovascular events 6-8 and may be an important precursor of the MS and type 2 diabetes. 9,10 Previous studies have shown that the excess in MS risk factors in prediabetic women is relatively greater than the excess in prediabetic men 11 and that the development of diabetes is associated with a greater increase in the relative risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women than in men. 12,13 Because inflammation is closely associated with individual components of MS and the risk of CHD, 14,15 such a pattern might be affected by the gender differences in the strength of the association of inflammation with MS-associated risk factors. Recent studies in the USA 9 and Mexico 10 have suggested that chronic, subclinical inflammation, as indicated by elevated CRP concentration, might have a greater effect on the development of MS in women than in men. However, the gender differences in the association between CRP and features of the MS, especially among Asians, have not been thoroughly studied, [16][17][18] so that was the aim of the present cross-sectional study conducted in Minoh, Osaka. Methods SubjectsThe Minoh Study is designed to clarify the risk factors for major diseases, including hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes, among Japanese. Of 3,142 Japanese subjects aged 40-69 years who underwent a thorough health checkup at Minoh Medical Health Center in 2003, 2,108 (67.1%) gave their written informed consent to participate in the present study and for the use of personal information for analysis. The Ethics Committee of Osaka University approved the study. Of the 2,108 potential participants, 405 C-Reactive Protein Concentration is More Strongly Related to Metabolic Syndrome in Women Than in Men The Minoh StudyNoriyuki Nakanishi, MD; Tsunehito Shiraishi, MD*; Mariko Wada, MD* Background The gender differences in the association between C-reactive protein (CRP) and features of the metabolic syndrome (MS) need to be elucidated among Japanese. Methods and ResultsThe study population included 715 men and 988 women ag...

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