Sedentary behaviour is associated with elevated C-reactive protein levels in people with psychosis

Psychosis is associated with elevated inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Using a cross sectional design, 250 participants with established psychosis (48.2 years (SD 10.2), 39.2% female) were classified as having normal (< 5.0 mg/μl, N = 159) or high CRP levels (> 5.0 mg/μl, N = 91). Regression analysis demonstrated that higher sedentary behaviour was associated with elevated CRP levels (β = .155, p = .01) after adjustment for confounding variables. Female gender (β = .229, p = .001), waist circumference (β = .205, p = .003) and non-white ethnicity (β = .181, p = .005) were also associated with elevated CRP. Sedentary behaviour is modifiable and increasing physical activity may reduce CRP levels.