@article {741, title = {C-reactive protein, carotid intima-media thickness, and incidence of ischemic stroke in the elderly: the Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {Circulation}, volume = {108}, year = {2003}, month = {2003 Jul 15}, pages = {166-70}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Increased carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT) and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) are both associated with the occurrence of stroke. We investigated whether elevated CRP is a risk factor for ischemic stroke independent of carotid IMT and studied the interaction between CRP and IMT.

METHODS AND RESULTS: We studied 5417 participants aged 65 years or older without preexisting stroke or chronic atrial fibrillation who were participants in the Cardiovascular Health Study. The hazard ratio of incident ischemic stroke was estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression. During 10.2 years of follow-up, 469 incident ischemic strokes occurred. The adjusted hazard ratios for ischemic stroke in the 2nd to 4th quartiles of baseline CRP, relative to the 1st quartile, were 1.19 (95\% CI 0.92 to 1.53), 1.05 (95\% CI 0.81 to 1.37), and 1.60 (95\% CI 1.23 to 2.08), respectively. With additional adjustment for carotid IMT, there was little confounding. The association of CRP with stroke was significantly different depending on IMT (P<0.02), with no association of CRP with stroke among those in the lowest IMT tertile and a significant association among those with higher levels of IMT.

CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that elevated CRP is a risk factor for ischemic stroke, independent of atherosclerosis severity as measured by carotid IMT. The association of CRP with stroke is more apparent in the presence of a higher carotid IMT. CRP and carotid IMT may each be independent integrals in determining the risk of ischemic stroke.

}, keywords = {Aged, Brain Ischemia, C-Reactive Protein, California, Carotid Arteries, Cohort Studies, Comorbidity, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Incidence, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Maryland, North Carolina, Odds Ratio, Pennsylvania, Proportional Hazards Models, Risk Assessment, Risk Factors, Stroke, Tunica Intima, Tunica Media, Ultrasonography}, issn = {1524-4539}, doi = {10.1161/01.CIR.0000079160.07364.6A}, author = {Cao, Jie J and Thach, Chau and Manolio, Teri A and Psaty, Bruce M and Kuller, Lewis H and Chaves, Paulo H M and Polak, Joseph F and Sutton-Tyrrell, Kim and Herrington, David M and Price, Thomas R and Cushman, Mary} } @article {794, title = {The relationship of cardiovascular risk factors to microalbuminuria in older adults with or without diabetes mellitus or hypertension: the cardiovascular health study.}, journal = {Am J Kidney Dis}, volume = {44}, year = {2004}, month = {2004 Jul}, pages = {25-34}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Microalbuminuria is a risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD). It occurs most commonly in the settings of diabetes and hypertension. The mechanisms by which it increases CHD risk are uncertain.

METHODS: We examined the cross-sectional association of microalbuminuria with a broad range of CHD risk factors in 3 groups of adults aged 65 years or older with and without microalbuminuria: those with (1) no diabetes or hypertension (n = 1,098), (2) hypertension only (n = 1,450), and (3) diabetes with or without hypertension (n = 465).

RESULTS: Three factors were related to microalbuminuria in all 3 groups: age, elevated systolic blood pressure, and markers of systemic inflammation. In patients with neither diabetes nor hypertension, increasing C-reactive protein levels were associated with microalbuminuria (odds ratio per 1-mg/L increase, 1.46; 95\% confidence interval [CI], 1.15 to 1.84). Among those with diabetes, an increase in white blood cell (WBC) count was associated with microalbuminuria (odds ratio per 1,000-cell/mL increase, 2.57; 95\% CI, 1.12 to 5.89). Among those with hypertension, an increase in WBC count (odds ratio per 1,000-cell/mL increase, 1.83; 95\% CI, 1.04 to 3.23) and fibrinogen level (odds ratio per 10-mg/dL increase, 1.02; 95\% CI, 1.00 to 1.05) were significantly associated with microalbuminuria. In all 3 groups, prevalent CHD was related to an elevated WBC count. In none of the 3 groups was brachial artery reactivity to ischemia, an in vivo marker of endothelial function, related to microalbuminuria.

CONCLUSION: Microalbuminuria is associated with age, systolic blood pressure, and markers of inflammation. These associations reflect potential mechanisms by which microalbuminuria is related to CHD risk.

}, keywords = {Age Distribution, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Albuminuria, Biomarkers, Brachial Artery, Comorbidity, Coronary Disease, Cross-Sectional Studies, Diabetes Mellitus, Female, Humans, Hypertension, Inflammation, Logistic Models, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Odds Ratio, Risk Factors, Smoking, Ultrasonography}, issn = {1523-6838}, doi = {10.1053/j.ajkd.2004.03.022}, author = {Barzilay, Joshua I and Peterson, Do and Cushman, Mary and Heckbert, Susan R and Cao, Jie J and Blaum, Caroline and Tracy, Russell P and Klein, Ronald and Herrington, David M} }