Objective: To investigate the relationship between serum calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and coronary angiopathy.
Methods: In a cross-sectional study, serum CGRP levels of 119 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), 78 with non CHD and 39 healthy subjects were measured with radioassay method. The information on conventional risk factors were collected by interviews.
Results: The development of coronary angiopathy was correlated with smoking, diabetes and aging. The mean serum CGRP level was significantly lower in CHD than in NCHD patients [(35.5 +/- 48.8) mumol/L vs (63.8 +/- 47.3) mumol/L, P < 0.01). There was no difference between the mean serum CGRP level in NCHD patients and healthy controls. By multivariate logistic regression, the odds ratios (OR) of aging, smoking and diabetes were all > or = 1 (P < 0.01), that means they are independent risk factors for the development of coronary angiopathy. The OR of CGRP was < or = 1, indicating that it was an independent protective factor.
Conclusions: It is shown that aging, smoking and diabetes are all independent risk factors for the development of angiopathy, while CGRP is an independent protective factor for the development of coronary angiopathy.