Family History of Diabetes or Cardiovascular Disease and C-Reactive Protein Concentration:

Background

Prospective studies have suggested that C-reactive protein concentration is associated with diabetes and coronary heart disease. The presence of a family history of diabetes or coronary heart disease is considered a risk factor for these conditions. Whether a family history of diabetes or coronary heart disease is associated with C-reactive protein concentration is uncertain.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis was performed on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999–2000, a nationally representative survey of the U.S. population. Family histories of diabetes and coronary heart disease were self-reported.

Results

In unadjusted analyses (n=3187), the geometric mean concentration of C-reactive protein was 1.7 mg/L, 1.9 mg/L, and 2.6 mg/L for participants with 0, 1, and ≥2 relatives with diabetes, respectively (p for linear trend <0.001). After adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, smoking status, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol concentration, body mass index, and alcohol intake, a family history of diabetes was not independently associated with C-reactive protein concentration (Wald chi-square p=0.228). Univariate and multivariate analyses of data on 3344 participants showed that a family history of coronary heart disease was not significantly associated with C-reactive protein concentration.

Conclusions

Family histories of diabetes or coronary heart disease were not independently associated with C-reactive protein concentration, suggesting that the association between such family histories and diabetes and coronary heart disease are not explained by C-reactive protein concentration or perhaps by inflammation. Additional study of this subject is recommended, however.