THE ASSOCIATION OF AGE, GENDER, BODY FATNESS AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS WITH PLASMA C-REACTIVE PROTEIN CONCENTRATIONS IN OLDER TAIWANESE

Objective: This study determined the population distribution of plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) and evaluated its association with age, body fatness status and lifestyle factors in elderly Taiwanese. Design: A crosssectional study. Setting: A population-representative sample. The "1999-2000 Elderly Nutrition and Health Survey in Taiwan". Participants: 2432 non-institutionalized population-representative Taiwanese, 65 y or older. Measurements: Plasma CRP-concentrations and factors that impact plasma CRP concentrations. Results: Results showed that weighting-adjusted plasma CRP concentration (mean ± SE) was 2.50 ± 0.10 mg/L for men and 2.70 ± 0.10 mg/L for women. Cigarette smoking was positively associated with plasma CRP concentrations in both men and women. Age was positively (P<0.05) but physical activity was negatively (P<0.05) associated with plasma CRP concentrations in men. These associations were not significant in women. Waist circumference but not BMI was significantly (P<0.05) associated with plasma CRP in women. Both associations were not significant in men. Alcohol drinking and betel nut-chewing were not significantly associated with CRP concentrations. Conclusion: Results suggest that there are gender-related differences in the degree of association of CRP concentrations with age, waist circumference, BMI and physical activity in older Taiwanese. Results also suggest population-related differences in the strength of many associations when compared to observations made in Western countries. These findings may help delineate the differences in cardiovascular risk among various populations.