Does persistent CRP-positivity increase the risk of arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease in patients with systemic sclerosis?
Chronic low-grade inflammation, indicated by persistent CRP-positivity, identifies a subgroup of systemic sclerosis patients at significantly increased risk for ASCVD.
Our data indicate that persistent CRP-positivity and thus chronic low-grade inflammation in SSc patients enhance the risk for arteriosclerotic-cardiovascular disease significantly beyond the ASCVD risk observed for our SSc patients without CRP elevations. It seems to be along with a disrupted lipid profile the hallmark of a distinct "inflammatory" subgroup of SSc patients. However, large population-based studies and clinical trials in patients with SSc are needed to validate our findings in a prospective or interventional setting.
Heilmeier et al. (Tue,) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: