High sensitivity C-reactive protein predicts the development of new carotid artery plaques in older persons.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Previous studies have shown that increased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) predict cardiovascular events, including stroke, myocardial infarction and death from cardiovascular causes. Previous studies have also shown that increased levels of CRP are strong predictors of the progression of pre-existing carotid artery plaques. However, whether CRP is involved in the development of new plaques, that may or may not be associated with clinical events, in subjects with clean carotid arteries has been scarcely investigated. METHODS AND RESULTS: 486 "InCHIANTI" Study participants (200 men and 286 women, 72% aged 65 years and over) free from carotid artery plaques at baseline, also underwent carotid artery scan three years later. We tested the association of baseline characteristics, cardiovascular risk factors and inflammatory markers with the development of new carotid artery plaques. Older participants were significantly more likely to develop new plaques. Independent of age, the relative risks of developing new plaques associated with heavy smoking and family history of atherosclerosis were 1.7 (95%CI 1.5-1.9) and 1.9 (95%CI 1.2-3.1), respectively. Participants with high (>3 µg/mL) and moderate (≥1 and ≤3 µg/mL) CRP levels had a relative risk of 2.2 (95%CI 1.9-2.6) and 1.9 (95%CI 1.6-2.3) respectively, when compared with subjects with low (<1 µg/mL) CRP levels. Surprisingly, risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and overweight/obesity were not significant predictors of the development of new carotid artery plaques. CONCLUSIONS: High CRP levels independently predict the development of new plaques in older persons with carotid arteries free from atherosclerotic lesions.

Environmental effects on school age child psychomotricity.

AIM: This study had the following aims: to verify whether children living in different environmental areas present a different development degree of the functional prerequisites of psychomotricity; to test whether a targeted psychomotricity education program could favourably modify the potential differences which may be observed; to investigate the relationship, if any, between the anthropometric differences and the functional prerequisites of psychomotricity. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-five Italian children, 83 males and 82 females, 6-7 years old were enrolled in this study. Based on the provenance area, the children were subdivided into two groups: the urban one (N=85) and the rural one (N=80). Both groups underwent an initial psychomotor assessment including standardised psychomotor tests aimed at evidencing the general dynamic coordination ability and the static and dynamic balance capacity of every child. RESULTS: The findings of this research point out that children living in an urban setting selectively showed a lower degree of balance development, if compared to children living in rural areas; a targeted psychomotor education program favourably modified the differences in the balance development between the two examined groups, up to their disappearance. In the urban group the body mass index had a trend towards a negative relationship with balance development. CONCLUSION: Children grown up in an urban environment showed a delay in balance development, if compared to children of the same age grown up in rural areas. This study also clearly proves that such a delay may be regained by means of a targeted psychomotor education program.