Metabolic syndrome, C-reactive protein, and prognosis in patients with established coronary artery disease

Background The prognosis associated with metabolic syndrome and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) in patients with stable coronary artery disease has not been well established. Methods The WIZARD study was to determine the effects of 12 weeks of antibiotic therapy on coronary heart disease events in patients with stable coronary artery disease and known Chlamydia pneumoniae exposure. Baseline metabolic risk factors were available for 3319 patients enrolled from 1997 to 1998. The primary outcome was the first occurrence of death, recurrent myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization procedure, or hospitalization for angina. Results Of the 3319 subjects, 825 patients experienced the primary outcome during the mean follow-up of 37 months. For the composite outcome, there was an increased hazard ratio (HR) for metabolic syndrome (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.22-1.61) (unadjusted) and for hs-CRP (HR 1.60, 95% CI 1.38-1.85) (unadjusted). Both the metabolic syndrome and hs-CRP indicated, in a multivariable model including age and sex, an increased HR for the primary outcome (metabolic syndrome: HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.15-1.53; hs-CRP: HR 1.52, 95% CI 1.30-1.76). Conclusions Although related, the presence of the metabolic syndrome and increased levels of hs-CRP were associated with increased risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.