Joint Effects of C-Reactive Protein and Glycated Hemoglobin in Predicting Future Cardiovascular Events of Patients With Advanced Atherosclerosis

Abstract

Background— C-reactive protein (CRP) and glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) are established risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease. We investigated the joint effects of these parameters on cardiovascular outcome of patients with advanced atherosclerosis. Methods and Results— We studied 454 patients with advanced atherosclerosis (median age, 69 years; 264 male). Cardiovascular risk profile, high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP), and HbA1c were obtained at baseline, and patients were followed for a median of 21 months (interquartile range, 13 to 26) for the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary interventions, coronary artery bypass graft, carotid revascularization, stroke, and death). We observed 166 MACE in 128 patients (28%). Cumulative event-free survival rates at 6, 12, and 24 months were 91%, 85%, and 73%, respectively. Adjusted hazard ratios for the occurrence of MACE according to increasing quartiles of hs-CRP and HbA1c were 1.35 (P=0....