Increased C-Reactive Protein in Brazilian Children: Association with Cardiometabolic Risk and Metabolic Syndrome Components (PASE Study)‎

Abstract EN

C-reactive protein (CRP) is a marker of subclinical inflammation that has been found to be associated with cardiovascular disease risk.

However, few studies have investigated the relationship between CRP and cardiometabolic markers in a representative sample of prepubescent children.

The objective was to evaluate the high-sensitive CRP (hs-CRP) and its association with traditional and nontraditional cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as metabolic syndrome (MetS) components in Brazilian children.

This is a cross-sectional representative study, with participants of the Schoolchildren Health Assessment Survey (PASE).

Children from 8 to 9 years old (n=350) enrolled in public and private schools in the municipality of Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were evaluated.

Sociodemographic evaluation was performed through a semistructured questionnaire.

Anthropometric, body composition, clinical, and biochemical measures were analyzed for cardiometabolic risk assessment.

The total mean of serum hs-CRP concentration was 0.62 (±1.44) mg/L.

hs-CRP was significantly correlated with several anthropometric, biochemical, and clinical parameters in this population (P<0.05).

hs-CRP was positively associated with the accumulation of cardiometabolic risk factors and MetS components (P<0.05).

Children with excessive weight; abdominal obesity; increased gynoid and android body fat; low HDL-c; hyperglycemia; and elevated uric acid, homocysteine, and apoB had higher chances of presenting increased hs-CRP (P<0.05).

In this study, Brazilian children with cardiometabolic risk already presented elevated serum hs-CRP concentration.

hs-CRP was associated with the increase of traditional and nontraditional cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as the accumulation of MetS components.