Background: Metabolic syndrome has been suggested as a risk factor for chronic kidney disease (CKD). Inflammation is associated with both metabolic syndrome and CKD. We investigated inter-relationships between C-reactive protein (CRP), metabolic syndrome, and CKD among 9586 subjects without diabetes or hypertension.
Methods: Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria of the revised Adult Treatment Panel III. CKD was defined as a glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m(2) or as albuminuria. A CRP cutpoint of 3 mg/L was used to differentiate high and low CRP groups.
Results: Chronic kidney disease was present in 6.2% of subjects without metabolic syndrome and in 13.1% of subjects with the syndrome (P < .001). In a multivariate model, high blood pressure (BP) (odds ratio [OR], 1.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-1.95), high fasting glucose (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.19-1.81), abdominal obesity (OR, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.22-1.81), and high CRP (OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.18-1.98) were independently associated with prevalent CKD. Compared with low CRP/without metabolic syndrome, the multivariate-adjusted odds for CKD of high CRP/without metabolic syndrome and low CRP/with metabolic syndrome were 1.48 (95% CI, 1.10-2.0) and 1.90 (95% CI, 1.47-2.45), respectively. Subjects with high CRP and metabolic syndrome had a 3.26-fold greater odds of having CKD (95% CI, 2.00-5.31).
Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome and high CRP were independently associated with increased prevalence of CKD. The odds of CKD increased in the setting of high CRP and metabolic syndrome.