Relationship of serial hsCRP changes to long-term clinical outcomes in stabilized post myocardial infarction patients

ABSTRACT Background Little is known about the association between serial hsCRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) measurements and long-term outcomes in post-myocardial infarction(MI) patients. We aimed to investigate the usefulness of serial hsCRP measurements for risk stratification in stabilized post-MI patients following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods A total of 1,018 patients who had hsCRP values at both baseline and 1 year following MI were included. High inflammatory status was defined as an hsCRP>2 mg/L. Patients were classified into four groups: persistently low, falling (first high then low hsCRP), rising (first low then high hsCRP), or persistently high hsCRP. The primary outcome was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE: a composite of all-cause of death, MI, and cerebrovascular accident) within 4 years after the second hsCRP measurement. Results At 1 year after MI, the number of patients in the persistently low, falling, rising, and persistently high hsCRP groups was 394(38.7%),358(35.2%),69(6.8%), and 197(19.4%), respectively. The incidence of MACCE was progressively elevated from the persistently low to the falling, rising, and persistently high hsCRP groups.(respectively,4.8%,8.1%,10.1%, and 13.2%; p=0.004). Persistently high hsCRP was an independent predictor of MACCE (adjusted hazard ratio:2.55; 95% confidence interval:1.35 to 4.81; p=0.004) and provided incremental prognostic value beyond that of the baseline clinical risk model (NRI=0.397, IDI=0.025, all p Conclusions Among stabilized post-MI patients who underwent PCI, persistently high hsCRP was frequently seen 1 year after MI and was strongly associated with long-term adverse clinical outcomes. Serial measurements of hsCRP during clinical follow-up after MI may help to identify patients at higher risk for mortality and morbidity.