Metabolic syndrome and C-reactive protein in the general population: JMS Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND In recent years some studies have shown that metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with inflammation, indicated by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), but there have been few population-based studies, especially in Japan. METHODS AND RESULTS The study subjects were 2,191 men and women examined between 1992 and 1995 with the necessary data to ascertain MS as part of the Jichi Medical School Cohort Study. CRP was measured by nephelometry. There were 109 subjects defined as having MS (5.0%), and the proportion of MS cases was higher in men (9.4%) than in women (1.8%). Geometric mean and median CRP in the MS group was higher than that in the non-MS (geometric mean; p<0.001, median: 0.312 mg/L in MS and 0.122 mg/L). Proportion of MS increased with CRP, after the subjects were divided by tertile of CRP (odds ratio, 95% confidence interval 1st tertile as a reference; 2nd tertile: 2.9, 1.5-5.9, 3rd tertile: 5.7, 3.1-11.1). CONCLUSION Inflammation, measured by the concentration of hsCRP, was elevated in cases of MS in the general Japanese population. Longitudinal data should be examined in the future.