Association between C-reactive protein level and peripheral arterial disease among US adults without cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or hypertension.

Description

Whether C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were independently associated with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), defined as ankle-brachial index <0.9, was analyzed in a cross-sectional cohort of 1,611 individuals from the NHANES database (1999-2002) free of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. High CRP levels were linked to PAD independent of smoking, waist girth, blood pressure, glycosylated hemoglobin, cholesterol, and other confounders. This relationship was consistent in men and women as well as in age, education, smoking, and BMI subgroups. These findings suggest that atherosclerosis-related inflammatory processes can be observed in apparently asymptomatic adult individuals.