Associations of C-reactive protein with measures of obesity, insulin resistance, and subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy, middle-aged women

Obesity, the insulin resistance syndrome, and atherosclerosis are closely l inked and may all be determinants of an increased acute-phase response. In this study, we examined the relationship of C-reactive protein (CRP) with m easures of obesity, variables of the insulin resistance syndrome, and intim a-media thickness of the common carotid arteries in 186 healthy, middle-age d women selected from the general population. Associations were assessed by regression analysis. CRP was strongly associated with body mass index (BMI ) and waist circumference. CRP was also associated with other variables of the insulin resistance syndrome, including blood pressure, insulin, high de nsity lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein Al (inversely) , plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen, and tissue-type plasminogen ac tivator antigen. Associations between CRP and the variables of the insulin resistance syndrome disappeared after controlling for BMI but remained sign ificant for plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 antigen only. The association of CRP with common carotid artery intima-media thickness was weak and limi ted to ever-smokers. BMI explained 29.7% of the variance of CRP, whereas co mmon carotid artery intima-media thickness explained only 3.7%. The results of this population-based study indicate that adiposity is strongly associa ted with CRP in healthy, middle-aged women. In this population, BMI account ed for the relationship between CRP and other variables of the insulin resi stance syndrome. Further studies should determine whether losing weight ame liorates the inflammatory state.