Systemic inflammation has been identified as a risk factor for the development of heart failure in population studies. In the five-year prospective MESA study, researchers from Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore recorded a baseline non-specific marker of systemic inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP). After controlling for usual coronary and CHF risk factors including diabetes, coronary disease, hypertension, smoking status, BMI, etc., a positive correlation between CRP and myocardial functional deterioration on echocardiogram is observed over the follow-up period. CRP is an independent risk factor for myocardial deterioration.
Choi EY, et al. High sensitivity C-reactive protein as an independent predictor of progressivemyocardial functional deterioration: The longitudinal multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis (MESA). Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore Maryland. Presented at ACC 2011. April 3, 2011. New Orleans, La.
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