C-Reactive Protein and the Framingham Coronary Risk Score in Patients Newly Diagnosed With Intermittent Claudication

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the relationship between serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels and the calculated 10-year Framingham risk score (FRS) in patients newly diagnosed with intermittent claudication. Methods: Serum CRP levels were measured in 90 patients newly diagnosed with intermittent claudication over a 12-month period. In all, 76 patients (53 males [70%], mean age 63.3 ± 9.3) were included in the analysis. Results: Log-transformed CRP levels significantly correlated with total FRS (r = .34, P = .002). Participants were divided into 4 groups according to log-CRP levels. Analysis of variance showed a statistically significant difference between the 4 groups in terms of mean FRS, P = .003. Post hoc comparisons indicated that group 1 was significantly different from group 4, P = .002. Analysis of covariance showed a significant difference between the 4 groups of log-CRP levels in terms of mean FRS, P = .008. Conclusion: There is an increased 10-year risk of coronary heart disease associated with increased plasma concentration of CRP in patients newly diagnosed with intermittent claudication.