A Study on Hs-CRP, Carotid Intima Media Thickness, and Lipid Profile in Children of Patients with Premature CAD

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the risk markers of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), so that appropriate lifestyle changes can be instituted early to prevent or delay development of the disease.
Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the risk markers of CAD based on inflammation and arterial morphology; i.e., high sensitivity C-Reactive Protein (hs-CRP) and carotid artery Intima Media Thickness (IMT), in children of patients with premature CAD.
Patients and Methods: This was a case-control study with predetermined end points. It was conducted on 40 subjects randomly selected from the children of premature CAD patients and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Blood levels of hs-CRP, lipid profile, and carotid IMT were assessed for all the subjects. The relationship among these parameters was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses using the SPSS statistical software, version 22.0 and P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Results: The mean values of Total Cholesterol (TC, 139.8 ± 24 vs. 111.3 ± 14.7, P < 0.05), Triglycerides (TG, 81.8 ± 15.3 vs. 63.4 ± 10.8, P < 0.05), Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL, 85.2 ± 22.2 vs. 57.5 ± 14.1, P < 0.05), hs-CRP (1.2 ± 0.77 vs. 0.79 ± 0.27, P < 0.05) and carotid artery IMT (0.49 ± 0.09 vs. 0.422 ± 0.03, P < 0.05) were significantly higher in the cases compared to the controls. Also, both LDL/High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and TC/HDL ratios were significantly higher in the cases compared to the controls. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found between carotid IMT and hs-CRP.
Conclusions: Children of patients with premature CAD showed a significantly higher incidence of dyslipidemia as well as significantly increased levels of the inflammation marker, hs- CRP, compared to the age- and sex-matched controls. This indicates that atherosclerosis is not only a disease of lipid deposition, but also an inflammatory process. This was further confirmed by demonstration of a significantly raised IMT.