Aims: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) associates with atherosclerotic diseases such as stroke. However, previous results on the association between hsCRP levels and functional disability were controversial.
Methods: We analyzed 2,610 men and women who did not exhibit functional disability or death within the first 3 years of the baseline survey and those aged 65 years or older at the end of follow-up. The levels of hsCRP were assessed using latex agglutination assay at baseline survey from 2006 to 2014. Functional disability was followed up using the long-term care insurance (LTCI) program until November 1, 2019. Functional disability was defined as a new LTCI program certification. Cox proportional hazards model with competing risk analysis for death was used to evaluate the association between hsCRP levels and future functional disability.
Results: During a 9-year follow-up period, we observed 328 cases of functional disability and 67 deaths without prior functional disability incidence. The multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio (HR, 95% confidence interval [CI]) of functional disability in log-transferred hsCRP levels was 1.43 (1.22-1.67) in men and 0.97 (0.81-1.15) in women. When hsCRP level was analyzed as a categorical variable, low hsCRP levels (＜1.0 mg/l) as the reference, the multivariable-adjusted HR (95% CI) of functional disability in high hsCRP levels (≥ 3.0 mg/l) was 2.37 (1.56-3.62). Similar results were observed when stratified by sex, but it was not significant in women.
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that low-grade systemic inflammation to assess hsCRP might predict the future incidence of functional disability, especially in men.
Keywords: C-reactive protein; Functional disability; Systemic inflammatory.