Impact of C-Reactive Protein on Long-Term Cardiac Events in Stable Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

Aim: Chronic inflammation is associated with atherosclerosis development. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular events and is associated with chronic inflammation. We aimed to investigate the influence of C-reactive protein (CRP), an important marker of inflammation, on the clinical outcomes of patients with CKD and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: Among patients with stable CAD and CKD who underwent PCI, 516 patients whose CRP levels were available before the PCI procedure were identified. The patients were divided into two groups according to the CRP levels: those with CRP ≥ 2.0 mg/L (high-CRP group) and those with CRP ＜2.0 mg/L (low-CRP group). The primary endpoint of this study was the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and unplanned revascularization. Results: Overall, the mean age of the patients was 72.5±9.7 years, and 20.7% were female. The median CRP level was 1.43 mg/L (0.6–4.9 mg/L). The median follow-up period was 3.6 years. The occurrence of MACE was significantly higher in the high-CRP group than in the low-CRP group (log-rankp＜0.001). Notably, the incidence rate of cardiac death was significantly higher in the high-CRP group (log-rankp＜0.001). According to the multivariable analysis, CRP level ≥ 2.0 mg/L was found to be a significant predictor of MACE (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.54, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–2.28,p=0.003), as well as estimated glomerular filtration rate (HR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97–0.99,p＜0.01). Conclusion: High-CRP levels adversely affect long-term cardiac events in patients with stable CAD and CKD.