C-reactive protein and the metabolic syndrome in older Chines: Guangzhou Biobank Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between serum c-reactive protein (CRP) concentration and the metabolic syndrome (MS) using the International Diabetes Federation Metabolic Syndrome Guidelines (April, 2005) definition in an older Chinese population. METHODS: Three thousand and fourteen men and 7275 women aged 50-85 years were recruited and received a full medical check-up including measurement of blood pressure, obesity indices, fasting total, LDL-, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose and c-reactive protein. Data describing socioeconomic and lifestyle factors was also collected. RESULTS: Vascular risk factors including waist circumference, weight gain and waist gain since the age of 18, body mass index, waist-hip-ratio, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressures were positively associated with CRP in both men and women (p from