Advertisement
This Blood Marker Rose 89% Before Cardiometabolic Risk Advanced
Heart disease, kidney problems, and type 2 diabetes can develop over time, but when do the early warning signs actually start to show up?
Your routine bloodwork offers some important clues, yet researchers are looking at another piece of the puzzle: inflammation.
A recent study explored how a common blood marker of inflammation changes as cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic (CKM) risk develops. The goal was to understand whether these changes appear early, before more serious health problems take hold.
About the study
Researchers analyzed health data from 4,315 U.S. adults who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2015 and 2018.
They measured high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), a blood marker that helps detect inflammation.
To understand how inflammation relates to overall health, the researchers grouped participants into five CKM stages defined by the American Heart Association:
- Stage 0: No CKM risk factors.
- Stage 1: Excess or dysfunctional body fat, without other CKM risk factors.
- Stage 2: Metabolic risk factors, such as high blood sugar or abnormal cholesterol, or signs of kidney problems.
- Stage 3: More advanced metabolic or kidney problems, or a high predicted risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Stage 4: Established cardiovascular disease.
The researchers compared hsCRP levels across these stages, accounting for factors such as age, smoking, physical activity, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar.
Inflammation climbed fastest at the earliest stage
The biggest jump in inflammation happened between Stage 0 and Stage 1. Average hsCRP levels rose by 89% when participants moved from having no CKM risk factors to having excess or dysfunctional body fat without other CKM risk factors.
People in Stage 1 also had 76% higher odds of elevated hsCRP than those in Stage 0. The researchers defined elevated levels as 2 milligrams per liter or higher, a commonly used clinical threshold.
As CKM risk advanced, inflammation levels continued to rise, but much more gradually.
By Stages 2 through 4, levels had largely leveled off, suggesting that the biggest change in this marker occurred early in the progression of risk.
Why body fat may matter
When fat tissue doesn't function properly, it can release substances that promote inflammation throughout the body. This may help explain why hsCRP levels rose so sharply at Stage 1.
As metabolic and kidney problems develop, other factors, including medications and coexisting health conditions, may also affect inflammation levels.
That could help explain why the relationship between hsCRP and CKM stage became less consistent in later stages.
There's an important limitation, though. The blood marker hsCRP reflects inflammation, but it isn't proof that inflammation causes cardiometabolic disease.
Because researchers measured participants' health at a single point in time, they couldn't tell whether inflammation contributed to worsening health or simply occurred alongside it. Long-term studies are needed to understand how these changes unfold.
How to support your cardiometabolic health
You don't need a specialized inflammation test to start caring for your heart, kidneys, and metabolism. A few everyday habits can help:
- Keep up with health screenings: Check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar as recommended by your health care provider, and discuss your personal risk factors.
- Move regularly: Walking, cycling, strength training, and other activities you enjoy can support cardiovascular and metabolic health.
- Build balanced meals: Choose plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and other minimally processed foods to support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
- Avoid smoking and manage stress: Both are important parts of protecting your long-term health.
The takeaway
Inflammation doesn't necessarily wait until health problems become obvious to change.
This study found its biggest rise at the earliest stage of CKM risk, reinforcing why looking after your health before a diagnosis matters.