@article {690, title = {No association of plasma prothrombin concentration or the G20210A mutation with incident cardiovascular disease: results from the Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {Thromb Haemost}, volume = {87}, year = {2002}, month = {2002 Apr}, pages = {614-21}, abstract = {

Prothrombin is a key factor in blood clotting, a process intimately involved in thrombotic disease. We assessed prothrombin levels and G20210A genotype in a case-control study within the Cardiovascular Health Study. Cases included angina, myocardial infarction, stroke, and the presence of MRI-detectable infarcts (n approximately 250 each). Population-based controls free of clinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) (n approximately 500) and a subset free of clinical and subclinical CVD (n approximately 250) were used for comparison. The 20210 A allele, frequency 2.9\%, was associated with higher mean prothrombin levels: 166.3 vs. 139.5 microg/ml (P <0.001). Significant correlates of prothrombin included gender, plasma lipids, other vitamin K-dependent proteins, and inflammatory markers, but not race, smoking, hypertension, diabetes, measures of subclinical CVD, or markers of procoagulant activity. Compared to controls, neither genotype nor prothrombin level was associated with any CVD case group. We conclude that, in the elderly, neither prothrombin level nor 20210 genotype were associated with either CVD risk factors or events. This is consistent with the lack of association of prothrombin levels with measures of underlying CVD or procoagulant markers.

}, keywords = {3{\textquoteright} Untranslated Regions, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alleles, Angina Pectoris, Blood Proteins, Cardiovascular Diseases, Case-Control Studies, Comorbidity, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Hyperlipidemias, Hypertension, Male, Mutation, Myocardial Infarction, Obesity, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Prothrombin, Risk Factors, Smoking, Stroke, Vermont}, issn = {0340-6245}, author = {Smiles, Adam M and Jenny, Nancy S and Tang, Zhonghua and Arnold, Alice and Cushman, Mary and Tracy, Russell P} } @article {1366, title = {Long-term assessment of inflammation and healthy aging in late life: the Cardiovascular Health Study All Stars.}, journal = {J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci}, volume = {67}, year = {2012}, month = {2012 Sep}, pages = {970-6}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Associations of inflammation with age-related pathologies are documented; however, it is not understood how changes in inflammation over time impact healthy aging.

METHODS: We examined associations of long-term change in C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) with concurrent onset of physical and cognitive impairment, subsequent cardiovascular disease (CVD), and mortality in 1,051 participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study All Stars Study. Biomarkers were measured in 1996-1997 and 2005-2006.

RESULTS: In 2005-2006, median age was 84.9 years, 63\% were women and 17\% non-white; 21\% had at least a doubling in CRP over time and 23\% had at least a doubling in IL-6. Adjusting for demographics, CVD risk factors, and 1996-1997 CRP level, each doubling in CRP change over 9 years was associated with higher risk of physical or cognitive impairment (odds ratio 1.29; 95\% confidence interval 1.15, 1.45). Results were similar for IL-6 (1.45; 1.20, 1.76). A doubling in IL-6 change over time, but not CRP, was associated with incident CVD events; hazard ratio (95\% confidence interval) 1.34 (1.03, 1.75). Doubling in change in each biomarker was individually associated with mortality (CRP: 1.12 [1.03, 1.22]; IL-6 1.39 [1.16, 1.65]). In models containing both change and 2005-2006 level, only level was associated with CVD events and mortality.

CONCLUSIONS: Although increases in inflammation markers over 9 years were associated with higher concurrent risk of functional impairment and subsequent CVD events and mortality, final levels of each biomarker appeared to be more important in determining risk of subsequent events than change over time.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, C-Reactive Protein, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cognition, Cohort Studies, Cross-Sectional Studies, Female, Humans, Inflammation, Inflammation Mediators, Interleukin-6, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Risk Factors, Vermont}, issn = {1758-535X}, doi = {10.1093/gerona/glr261}, author = {Jenny, Nancy S and French, Benjamin and Arnold, Alice M and Strotmeyer, Elsa S and Cushman, Mary and Chaves, Paulo H M and Ding, Jingzhong and Fried, Linda P and Kritchevsky, Stephen B and Rifkin, Dena E and Sarnak, Mark J and Newman, Anne B} }