ASSESSMENT OF SERUM LEVELS OF HIGH SENSITIVITY C-REACTIVE PROTEIN AND LIPOPROTEIN (a) AND THEIR CORRELATION IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS IN SOUTHERN PART OF NIGERIA

HSCRP and Lp (a) in Hypertension

Abstract

Background: Globally, hypertension is the main preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and overall mortality. Low-grade inflammatory processes in vascular tissue have been implicated in the pathophysiology of hypertension. Both high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (HSCRP) and lipoprotein (a) (Lp [a]) have been associated with cardiovascular disease. This study was to evaluate the serum levels of HSCRP and Lp (a) and their correlation in hypertensive patients.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study carried out in the hospital between October 2022 and January 2024 at the Delta State Central Hospital, Warri, Nigeria. The study enrolled three hundred participants composed of two hundred hypertensive and one hundred normotensive individuals. The study used a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data, which was then analysed using SPSS version 23.

Results: The mean HSCRP was 4.23 ± 3.31 vs. 1.50 ± 1.49 mg/L in the hypertensive and control groups, respectively. The difference in the two groups was statistically significant (<0.001). It was observed that 6.7% vs. 50.0% had low HSCRP in the hypertensive and control groups, respectively; 54.1% vs. 38.3% had intermediate HSCRP in the hypertensive and control groups, respectively; 39.2% vs. 11.7% had high HSCRP in the hypertensive and control groups, respectively. The difference in the two groups was statistically significant (P-value <0.001). The mean Lp (a) were 32.77 ± 16.61 vs. 16.88 ± 13.85 mg/dl in the hypertensive and control groups, respectively. The difference in the two groups was statistically significant (<0.001). It was observed that 43.3% vs. 81.7% had normal Lp (a) in the hypertensive and control groups, respectively, while 56.7% vs. 18.3% had elevated Lp (a) in the hypertensive and control groups, respectively. The difference in the two groups was statistically significant (P-value <0.001). There was a positive correlation between HSCRP and Lp (a) in the hypertensive group (P-value = 0.028).