C-reactive protein and microalbuminuria differ in their associations with various domains of vascular disease

Abstract C-reactive protein (CRP) and microalbuminuria (MA) have been identified as risk markers for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We questioned whether CRP and MA are similar markers of vascular disease in different regions of the vascular tree like the heart, kidneys and extremities or if they differ in their relationships with these vascular beds. Baseline levels of CRP and urinary albumin were measured in 6669 non-diabetic participants in the Prevention of Renal and Vascular ENdstage Disease (PREVEND) study, a Dutch cohort derived from the general population. We defined three domains of vascular disease; coronary heart disease (myocardial infarction or infarct pattern on the ECG), renal insufficiency (creatinine clearance −1 ) and peripheral artery disease (ankle brachial index P