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Gender Differences in Associations of C-Reactive Protein With Atherosclerotic Risk Factors and Psychosocial Characteristics in Japanese Civil Servants

From the Department of Welfare Promotion and Epidemiology, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Toyama, Japan.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Ali Nasermoaddeli, Department of Welfare Promotion and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan. E-mail: moaddeli{at}ms.toyama-mpu.ac.jp

Objective: Several prospective studies have demonstrated a direct association between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and the risks of developing cardiovascular disease. A strong sense of coherence (SOC) has also been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality, but the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism remains unclear. We have evaluated the relationship of serum CRP and SOC and assessed the association of atherosclerotic risk factors with CRP in male and female subjects.

Methods: Data were collected in 2003 and 2004 cross-sectionally from the two phases of a longitudinal study. Atherosclerotic risk factors were evaluated along with psychosocial characteristics for 1,339 apparently healthy civil servants (748 women and 591 men) aged 20 to 60 years. The Japanese version of the SOC-13 was used in the study.

Results: After controlling for traditional atherosclerotic risk factors, SOC was inversely associated with hsCRP levels only in men. Among the atherosclerotic risk factors, body mass index and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol had the strongest associations with hsCRP in both sexes. Mean arterial pressure and blood glucose were positively correlated with hsCRP in men, and serum triglyceride levels positively correlated with hsCRP in women.

Conclusion: The findings suggested that a higher SOC might be associated with lower serum CRP levels in men. Also, the association of traditional atherosclerotic risk factors with CRP was not equal in men and women.

Key Words: C-reactive protein • atherosclerotic risk factors • psychosocial characteristics • sense of coherence • cross-sectional studies

Abbreviations: hsCRP = high-sensitivity C-reactive protein; SOC = sense of coherence; BMI = body mass index; MAP = mean arterial pressure; HDL = high-density lipoprotein.