Clinical InvestigationPrevention and RehabilitationGender and C-reactive protein: Data from the Multiethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort
Section snippets
Methods
MESA was initiated in July 2000 to investigate the prevalence, correlates, and progression of subclinical cardiovascular disease in individuals without known cardiovascular disease.5 This prospective cohort study includes 6814 men and women aged 45 to 84 years, without a known history of cardiovascular disease, recruited from 6 US communities (Baltimore, MD; Chicago, IL; Forsyth County, NC; Los Angeles County, CA; Northern Manhattan, NY; and St Paul, MN). The study consists of 47% men with a
Statistical analysis
Comparison of baseline characteristics between men and women was determined by χ2 tests and simple t tests. Nonparametric 1-way analysis of variance, using Wilcoxon scores, was performed to determine differences in CRP levels by gender in the entire cohort. Similar analyses were performed after stratifying by use of estrogen medication (n = 944) and after excluding individuals with CRP levels >10 mg/L (n = 575). Body mass index was treated as a dichotomous variable after dividing on the median
Results
The MESA cohort, with a mean age of 62 years at the baseline examination, consisted of 3601 women and 3213 men (Table I). Ethnic groups were equally represented across gender. Women were more likely to have an elevated BMI, whereas men were more likely to smoke, use alcohol, have diabetes, take aspirin, and exercise.
The overall distribution of CRP by gender is shown in Figure 1. In the MESA cohort, a CRP cutoff of 3 mg/L represented the 55th percentile in women and the 75th percentile in men.
References (16)
- et al.
Race and gender differences in C-reactive protein levels
J Am Coll Cardiol
(2005) - et al.
Markers of inflammation and cardiovascular disease: application to clinical and public health practice: a statement for healthcare professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association
Circulation
(2003) - et al.
C-reactive protein and other markers of inflammation in the prediction of cardiovascular disease in women
N Engl J Med
(2000) - et al.
Lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and risk for incident coronary heart disease in middle-aged men and women in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study
Circulation
(2004) - et al.
Inflammatory markers and the risk of coronary heart disease in men and women
N Engl J Med
(2004) - et al.
Multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis: objectives and design
Am J Epidemiol
(2002) Report of the Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus
Diabetes Care
(1997)- et al.
Statistical methods
(1989)
Cited by (0)
This research was supported by contracts N01-HC-95159 through N01-HC-95166 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Bethesda, MD, and NHLBI research training grant 1 T32 HL076132-01.