Association between obesity and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in Korean adults without cardiovascular disease

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the association between obesity and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in Korean adults without cardiovascular disease (CVD). Methods: The subjects were 3,634 adults, and data were extracted from the seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES Ⅶ-3). A complex sampling design analysis was applied to reflect the stratified and clustered weights. The data were analyzed using the complex sample Rao-Scott chi-square test and multiple logistic regression analysis (in SPSS for Windows version 26.0). Obesity, according to body mass index (BMI), was defined as obesity (BMI=25-29.9 kg/m²), high obesity (BMI=30-34.9 kg/m²), and super-high obesity (BMI≥35 kg/m²), and abdominal obesity (AO) was defined as a waist circumference (WC) ≥90 cm in males and WC ≥85 cm in females.Results: The odds ratios for moderate CVD risk (hs-CRP; 1-3 mg/dL) were 2.21, 4.16, and 7.13 in the obesity, high obesity, and super-high obesity groups, respectively, compared to the normal BMI group. The odds ratio for moderate CVD risk was 2.18 in males with AO and 1.88 in females with AO. The odds ratios for high CVD risk (hs-CRP>3mg/L) were 4.40 and 17.55 in the high obesity and super-high obesity groups, respectively, compared to the normal BMI group.Conclusion: This study provides evidence that early detection and prevention programs for CVD should include obesity-related interventions aiming to modulate hs-CRP.