Does elevated high-sensitivity serum C-reactive protein associate with hypertension in non-obese Japanese males?

The object of this study is to assess whether elevated hsCRP levels are independently related to hypertension in non-obese Japanese males. This cross-sectional study comprised 86 hypertensive and 109 normotensive subjects. We defined hypertension as a systolic blood pressure >= 140 mmHg and/or a diastolic blood pressure >= 90 mmHg and/or taking antihypertensive therapy. Log-hsCRP levels were significantly higher in hypertensive than normotensive subjects. In logistic regression analysis, subjects in the highest tertile had a two-fold higher risk than those in the lowest tertile. The association between hypertension and hsCRP levels was marginally significant. In addition, there was a significant tendency for hypertension to increase with an increase in CRP level (p < .05). These findings suggest that elevated hsCRP level is an independent risk factor for hypertension in non-obese Japanese males.