The Role of C - reactive protein in the Cardiovascular Risk and its Association with Hypertension - Abstract
Chronic and long-lasting inflammation is the beginning of the endothelial dysfunction process and atherosclerosis. Thus, C-reactive protein (CRP) initially described as an acute phase protein is a marker of cardiovascular disease but not so early on and specific. The association between CRP and the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease has been revealed, but not completely understood, since the cause-effect relationship and the reduction of them has not been consistently demonstrated.
Despite the established cut-off points in the healthy adult population, high sensitivity CRP
(hsCRP) needs new thresholds due to the wide variability among individuals by genetic and
behavioral factors. The CRP levels should be taken into account the accumulation of conditions such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, old age and hypertension. Nevertheless, clinical evidence supports a modest benefit in cardiovascular risk prediction in the intermediate risk group by the Framingham risk score.
This article approaches the applicability of hsCRP in clinical practice looking for the capacity to stratify and to refine cardiovascular risk assessment. We searched if there is any hsCRP utility on driving CV risk treatment. Some favorable evidence about the association between CRP and the development of hypertension were checked over. However, CRP could not be separate of dietary and metabolic factors, namely obesity. Finally, analysis of the prospective studies of CRP as a prognostic factor in hypertension were done including high-normal blood pressure person, hypertensive’s and resistant hypertensive’s.