C-reactive protein levels and genetic variants of CRP as prognostic markers for combined cardiovascular endpoint (cardiovascular death, death from stroke, myocardial infarction, and stroke/TIA)

•Increased CRP level is a significant predictor for three-year CV outcome.•In multivariate model increased CRP level was confirmed to be an independent risk factor.•The GG genotype of rs1800947 was associated with the CV outcome in Kaplan-Meier- analysis.•In cox regression the GG genotype showed a 1.99 higher risk for CV endpoint.•All other SNPs were proven to be no predictor for three-year CV outcome.

BackgroundThe aim of this analysis was to evaluate the importance of C-reactive protein levels and genetic variants of CRP as prognostic markers for further cardiovascular (CV) events (3-year follow-up) in a cohort of in-patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients.Methods and resultsPatients with angiographic proven CVD (n = 939) were prospectively included.The three-year CV outcome of the patients was evaluated considering the predefined, combined endpoint (CV death, death from stroke, myocardial infarction, and stroke/TIA). Polymorphisms rs1800947, rs1417938, rs1130864, rs3093077 were analysed.In Kaplan-Meier survival curve and Cox regression increased CRP levels of ⩾5 mg/l (log-rank test: p = 0.001, Cox regression: hazard ratio = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.2-2.7) and the GG genotype of rs1800947 (log-rank test: p = 0.01, Cox regression: hazard ratio = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.1-3.6) were associated with the incidence of the combined endpoint.ConclusionsBoth a CRP level ⩾5 mg/l and SNP rs1800947 of the CRP gene were independent risk factors for further adverse CV events among patients with CVD within three years follow-up.