March 16, 2004Circulation
C-Reactive Protein Modulates Risk Prediction Based on the Framingham Score
Why the study?
Does adding C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement to the Framingham Risk Score improve risk prediction for coronary events in middle-aged men from the general population?
Population
3,435 white men of German nationality, aged 45 to 74 years, drawn from the general population in the…
Comparison
C-reactive protein measurement combined with the… vs Framingham Risk Score (FRS) alone
Design
Cohort
Follow-up
average 6.6 years
Authors
Discussion
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Implication
May refine stratification in intermediate-risk men; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective validation before practice change.
Key Points
- This research aims to evaluate how C-reactive protein measurements can improve coronary heart disease risk predictions based on the Framingham Risk Score.
- Measured C-reactive protein and cardiovascular risk factors in 3435 white men aged 45 to 74 from the Augsburg area.
- Calculated the Framingham Risk Score for all participants at baseline.
- Conducted a Cox regression analysis to assess the contribution of CRP to coronary event risk over an average follow-up of 6.6 years.
- 191 coronary events occurred during follow-up, with CRP showing a significant contribution to coronary event risk prediction (P=0.0002).
- CRP added prognostic information to the Framingham Risk Score in two intermediate risk categories (P=0.03 and P=0.02).
- Findings suggest CRP enhances risk assessment in global coronary heart disease evaluations, particularly for intermediate risk groups.
Structured PICO
Does adding C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement to the Framingham Risk Score improve risk prediction for coronary events in middle-aged men from the general population?
P
Population
3,435 white men of German nationality, aged 45 to 74 years, drawn from the general population in the Augsburg area located in Southern Germany.
I
Intervention
C-reactive protein (CRP) measurement combined with the Framingham Risk Score (FRS)
C
Comparator
Framingham Risk Score (FRS) alone
O
Outcome
Composite of nonfatal and fatal coronary events, including sudden cardiac deathcomposite
Adding C-reactive protein measurement to the Framingham Risk Score enhances coronary risk prediction, particularly for men in intermediate risk categories.
Cite This Study
Köenig et al. (2004) studied this question.