Objective: To determine the prevalence of elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) in the Sandy Lake Oji-Cree, an aboriginal community residing in the Sioux Lookout zone of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, and to determine the associations of obesity and diabetes with CRP in a community with a very high prevalence of type II diabetes.
Design: We surveyed 512 community members aged 18 y and older to determine the prevalence and the determinants of elevated CRP in Sandy Lake.
Measurements: Clinical variables, indices of obesity and serum concentrations of CRP, insulin, serum amyloid A (SAA) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).
Results: The prevalence of CRP >or=3.8 mg/l was significantly higher in women than in men (51% vs. 32%, P<0.0001). Regression analysis determined that body mass index and IL-6 were independent determinants of CRP concentration in women and waist circumference and IL-6 were independent determinants of CRP concentration in men. Diabetes was associated with elevated CRP in both sexes, but was only a moderate strong determinant in CRP concentration in multivariate regression analysis.
Conclusions: The prevalence of elevated CRP in this aboriginal community is remarkably high. These data further demonstrate that the association between CRP and specific indices of obesity and metabolism vary according to gender and glycemic status.