English

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: Cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of mortality worldwide. The Acute Myocardial Infarction or Ischemic Heart Disease is rapidly increasing in India and in the developing countries. However, traditional risk factors alone do not explain this excess of Coronary Artery Disease. About 15-20%of the coronary artery disease patients do not have traditional risk factors. Novel risk factors like hs-CRP may play a significant role in these patients. The correlation between hs-CRP and cardiovascular events is so strong that hs-CRP remains an independent risk factor for CAD. The aim of this study is to estimate hs-CRP levels in Acute Myocardial Infarction patients and to study their association with one year mortality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 50 cases of Acute ST elevation MI admitted within 24 hours of onset of symptoms in ICCU in Basaveshwar Teaching and General Hospital, Gulbarga. 50 controls selected and matched with study subjects in all possible factors except the disease under study. Follow up done for upto one year. The novel risk factor hs-CRP was studied. RESULTS: This study was male dominated (72%). Mean age of cases was 54.5years. Chest pain was the most common presenting symptom (90%). High mean plasma hs-CRP (0.615+_0.419 mg/dl) levels were noted among cases. Significant association was found between elevated hs-CRP levels and one year mortality. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION: High plasma hs-CRP levels were noted among patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction and hs-CRP levels were found to be significantly elevated in the cases During the last few years a growing body of evidence has demonstrated that inflammation plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and its complications, and nowadays atherosclerosis is considered as an disease. Accumulating data demonstrate that elevated levels of circulating inflammatory markers predict an unfavourable cardiovascular outcome in asymptomatic subjects, patients with stable Ischaemic Heart Disease and in patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes. Improved knowledge of the molecular and cellular mechanisms of