Objective: To investigate correlation between high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and risk factors of acute stroke and cerebrovascular disease.
Methods: Hs-CRP levels were determined in 118 hypertensive patients with acute stroke (86 patients with cerebral infarction and 32 patients with cerebral hemorrhage) and in 67 healthy volunteers as normal control group by scattered radiation immunoturbidimetry. The difference in hs-CRP was analyzed in these two groups, and the correlation between hs-CRP and the cerebrovascular disease risk factors were analyzed.
Results: Acute stroke patients had a significantly higher level of hs-CRP compared with healthy subjects (P<0.01). There was no significant difference of hs-CRP level between cerebral infarction group and cerebral hemorrhage group. Hs-CRP level was significantly correlated with cerebrovascular accident risks such as age, body mass index (BMI), abdominal circumference, systolic and diastolic pressure, serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and serum fasting blood glucose by Pearson correlation analysis (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and strong positive correlations were observed between the hs-CRP level and systolic pressure, the serum fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL-C and HDL-C by analysis using the multivariate stepwise regression model (all P<0.01).
Conclusion: The high level hs-CRP is in close relation with acute stroke, and blood pressure, serum fasting blood glucose and cholesterol are significant and independent risk factors that might influence the level of hs-CRP.