"Blood Inflammation Levels, a Key Factor Determining Prognosis in Cardiovascular Patients"

Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital Professors Jeong Young-hoon and Song Hye-geun Team

Blood inflammation levels have once again been confirmed as an important factor determining the long-term prognosis of patients with cardiovascular disease (coronary artery disease) according to research by a domestic research team.

Professor Younghoon Jeong (left) and Professor Hyegun Song, Department of Cardiology, Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital.

Professors Jeong Young-hoon and Song Hye-geun from the Department of Cardiology at Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital, along with the cardiology research team at Gyeongsang National University Hospital, announced on the 2nd that their study on coronary artery disease patients who underwent stent procedures identified blood inflammation levels as a key factor determining both acute and chronic prognosis of cardiovascular disease.

The research team repeatedly measured inflammation levels before the procedure and one month after in 4,236 patients to observe changes in inflammation levels depending on the presence of acute myocardial infarction. As a result, patients with acute myocardial infarction had higher initial inflammation levels compared to those with stable angina. After one month of cardiovascular medication treatment, inflammation levels decreased but remained high in patients who had suffered acute myocardial infarction. This indicates that even after stent procedures and medication treatment, inflammation levels remain elevated in cases presenting initially as acute myocardial infarction, highlighting the continued importance of controlling inflammation.

Furthermore, the research team confirmed that the high-risk criteria for inflammation levels change over time after the procedure. During the acute phase, an initial blood inflammation level (hsCRP) of 2.4 mg/ℓ or higher was associated with increased recurrence of cardiovascular disease over one month, a phenomenon observed only in patients with acute myocardial infarction. In the stable phase, an hsCRP level of 1.6 mg/ℓ or higher measured at one month was significantly associated with long-term recurrence of cardiovascular disease across all conditions. These results were observed not only in patients with acute myocardial infarction but also in those with stable angina. This suggests that while aggressive anti-inflammatory treatment is necessary from the outset for patients with acute myocardial infarction, starting anti-inflammatory treatment after some disease stabilization following medication use is not too late for patients with stable angina.

Changes in Inflammatory Markers and Clinical Impact in Coronary Artery Disease. [Data provided by Chung-Ang University Gwangmyeong Hospital]

Regarding the study results, Professor Song Hye-geun stated, "It is known that Koreans have lower blood inflammation levels compared to Westerners. Through this study, we have demonstrated that inflammation levels play a very important role in ischemic clinical events not only in the acute phase but also in the stable phase among Korean patients with coronary artery disease."

Professor Jeong Young-hoon explained, "These study results provide important data for establishing Korean-specific criteria to identify high-risk groups who will require future anti-inflammatory treatment."

This study was published in the international thrombosis-related journal Thrombosis and Haemostasis (IF: 6.681).

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