Relation of Serum C-reactive Protein Level to Obesity and Fat Distribution in Japanese

Objective The present study was conducted to assess the relationship between serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level and obesity indices in Japanese residents. Design A population-based cross sectional study Setting and Subjects The subjects were 161 males and 337 females, aged 40-79 years who attended a health examination screening in a rural area of Hokkaido, Japan. They had no history of stroke, hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, cancer, or liver and kidney disorders. Main Outcome Measures Association of obesity indices including Body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumferences, waist hip ratio (WHR), and percent body fat with serum CRP level by gender. Results All obesity indices, excluding males' hip circumference, were significantly and positively correlated with logtransformed serum CRP level. When we adjusted for confounding factors, the odds ratio (OR) of obesity indices for high serum CRP level, high groups of percent body fat, and WHR was significant in both genders. In females, subjects with high BMI and waist circumference also had significantly high OR for CRP level. Moreover, after additionally adjusting for BMI, OR was significantly higher in subjects with large WHR, compared with low WHR in males, but it was not significant in females. BMI is the strongest predictor of high serum CRP level in females. Conclusions There was gender difference in the association between serum CRP level and obesity indices.