May help identify heart disease in patients who have no symptoms
The Mayo Clinic research report appears online and in the August issue of the American Journal of Hypertension. The Mayo Clinic collaborative study with researchers from the University of Michigan looked at 214 men and women with an average age of 59, who had no history of heart attack or stroke. Results suggest that low grade inflammation is associated with arterial stiffness (hardening). This inflammation may be a potential mechanism through which C-reactive protein is related to heart attack and stroke, and why testing for C-reactive protein in a blood test may be an effective early warning test for asymptomatic, or presymptomatic heart disease.
Significance of Mayo Clinic Research
Researchers around the world agree that C-reactive protein is associated with increased risk of heart attack and stroke. But it remains controversial whether C-reactive protein is a risk factor that affects the function of blood vessels, or if it is simply a marker signifying the presence of disease.
In addition to taking into account the traditional risk factors for heart disease--such as male sex, presence of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking--the research team also measured C-reactive protein levels as well as three indicators of arterial stiffness. Stiffening of arteries indicates a loss of their elastic properties and predisposes to heart attack, stroke and congestive heart failure.
Says lead Mayo Clinic researcher Iftikhar Kullo, M.D., "The current inability to accurately predict cardiovascular events such as heart attack is a problem, and anything we can do to improve risk assessment is a public health priority. Our study provides a new insight into how low grade inflammation could be related to heart and stroke by its association with arterial stiffness. Thus suppression of inflammation may be a target of drug therapy to improve arterial health."
Lee Aase | Source: EurekAlert!
Further information: www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/08957061
www.mayo.edu
More articles from Studies and Analyses:
Study Shows Sweetener Marketing Tactics May Mislead Consumers
20.11.2009 | Corn Refiners Association
Debt Stress Drops for Third Straight Month, Survey Finds
20.11.2009 | Ohio State University
Scientists Unravel Evolution of Highly Toxic Box Jellyfish
20.11.2009 | Life Sciences
When good companies do bad things: Examining illegal corporate behavior
20.11.2009 | Business and Finance
UCR plant scientist's research spawns new discoveries showing how crops survive drought
20.11.2009 | Agricultural and Forestry Science
Multidisciplinary meeting on Urological Cancers aims to benefit cancer patients
20.11.2009 | Event News
'Golden Age' for clinical psychology in Northern Ireland
20.11.2009 | Event News
New Perspectives in Marine Anti-Fouling Research
11.11.2009 | Event News