Higher High-Sensitivity C Reactive Protein is Associated with Future Premature Ventricular Contraction: a Community Based Prospective Cohort Study

We aimed to determine whether hs-CRP is a predictor of future premature ventricular contraction (PVC) events in a community based population. A total of 101,510 participants were recruited at baseline (2006–2007). The follow-up visits were conducted every two years. Participants who were free from PVC at baseline and achieved the fourth visit, or diagnosed of PVC during the subsequent visits were included for analyses. Diagnosis of PVC was based on standard supine resting, 10-s 12-lead ECG. Cox regression was applied to evaluate the association between quartiles of hs-CRP and the incidence of PVCs. 60710 participants (male: 79.9%, mean age 49.4 years) were included for analyses. During a mean follow-up of 74.9 ± 7.4 months, 908 (1.5%) participants were diagnosed with PVC. Participants of the highest quartile of hs-CRP had significantly increased risk of PVC events as compared with the lowest quartile (HR 1.36; 95% CI 1.12–1.66); and stratified analyses showed similar result in males (HR 1.45; 95% CI 1.16–1.80), but not in females (HR 1.12; 95% CI 0.71–1.79). Moreover, elevated serum hs-CRP was associated with future PVC in participants without history of myocardial infarction or stroke (HR 1.34; 95% CI 1.09–1.65). Elevated hs-CRP was an independent predictor of PVC in Chinese population, especially in men.