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Association between C-reactive protein and QTc interval in middle-aged men and women

  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Published:
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Abstract

Background

Both of prolonged QT interval and elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are known to be risk factors of cardiovascular disease. To our knowledge, few studies have reported the direct relationship between CRP levels and the QT interval in middle-aged population. The objective of the present study was to examine the association of CRP level with QT interval.

Methods and results

A total of 2471 men and 2287 women from the Korea n Health and Genome study underwent physical examination and completed a questionnaire. A 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) recording was obtained from each subject. Subjects who were taking statins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) and postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy, which are known to have an effect on CRP levels, were excluded. Geometric means of CRP levels were compared among three groups, which were classified by heart rate-corrected QT (QTc) interval: prolonged (≥440 msec in men and ≥450 msec in women), borderline (420–439 msec in men and 430–449 msec in women) and normal (<420 msec in men and <430 msec in women) groups. The means of CRP level in women, though over normal range, increased significantly as QTc interval was longer, independent of confounding factors, while those of men were on the borderline of significance. However, compared to normal range of QTc interval, prolonged QTc interval was associated with elevated CRP level, defined as more than 95 percentile of CRP, in men and women, respectively.

Conclusions

Prolonged QTc interval in middle-aged men and women is associated with the elevated CRP, independent of confounding factors.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

body-mass index

CRP:

C-reactive protein

ECG:

electrocardiogram

HDL:

high-density lipoprotein

NSAID:

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug

QTc:

heart rate-corrected QT

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by Center for Genome Science, Korea National Institute of Health, (Budgets 2001-347-6111-221 and 2002-347-6111-221).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biostatistics, National Institute of Toxicological Research, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Eunhee Kim

  2. Institute of Human Genomic Study, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    SoonJae Joo, Jinyoung Kim & Chol Shin

  3. Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea

    JeongCheon Ahn

  4. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea

    JeHyeong Kim & Chol Shin

  5. Center for Genome Science, Korea National Institute of Health, Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Kuchan Kimm

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  1. Eunhee Kim
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Correspondence to Chol Shin.

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Kim, E., Joo, S., Kim, J. et al. Association between C-reactive protein and QTc interval in middle-aged men and women. Eur J Epidemiol 21, 653–659 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-006-9034-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-006-9034-9

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