Relationship between C-reactive protein and glucose levels in community-dwelling subjects without diabetes - The Hisayama Study

C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of systemic inflammation, is emerging as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (1,2). It has also been reported that serum CRP levels are elevated in patients with impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (3) or diabetes (4). A few prospective studies have shown that increased CRP levels are an independent risk factor for future diabetes (5,6). Although these findings indicate that CRP levels in peripheral blood are closely associated with glucose levels, it remains unclear whether a relationship exists between CRP levels and plasma glucose levels in the pre-diabetic range. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between CRP concentrations and pre-diabetic plasma glucose levels in a general Japanese population.