Abstract 13396: The Association Between Oxidative Balance Score and Elevated C-Reactive Protein in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Cohort

Abstract

Previous research has shown that summing a combination of individual pro- and anti- oxidant exposures, incorporated into an a comprehensive Oxidative Balance Score (OBS) may be associated with various conditions in the absence of associations with individual factors. Although OBS was designed to reflect oxidative stress related exposures, a compelling argument can be made that it may also affect inflammation. Nearly all OBS components also act as pro- and anti-inflammatory factors. An important marker of inflammation is C- reactive protein (CRP) which at elevated levels (>3.0 mg/L) has been shown to mark high risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVD). We examined the association of OBS with CRP among 20,169 participants in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. CRP was measured using a high-sensitivity assay. Thirteen different dietary and lifestyle-related components were incorporated in the OBS and the resulting score was then divided into five equal interval ordinal categories. A higher OBS in these analyses reflects a predominance of anti-oxidant (relative to pro-oxidant) exposures. CRP levels were dichotomized as >3.0 mg/L and ≤3.0 mg/L, based on the AHA/CDC recommendation. Multivariate-adjusted odds ratios were calculated using logistic regression models. A statistically significant inverse association between OBS and elevated CRP was observed. After adjustment for age, sex, race, BMI, total daily energy intake, education, region, and physical activity, the odds ratio (95% CI) for elevated CRP for the 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th categories of OBS were 0.76 (0.63-0.91), 0.62 (0.51-0.73), 0.51 (0.43-0.62), and 0.47 (0.36-0.61), respectively (p-trend < 0.001) when compared with those with lowest OBS category. Our findings demonstrate that OBS may reflect inflammation. Additional biomarkers in this cohort will be investigated to further understand the interrelation between extrinsic components of oxidative stress, inflammation, and CVD.