You are examining a 62-year-old female patient during a routine physical. The examination shows the patient is 5 ft 4 in tall, weighs 150 lb, has a waist circumference of 38 in, and a calculated BMI of 26 kg/m2. Her blood pressure is 128/80 mm Hg and blood analysis indicates elevated fasting plasma glucose and hypertriglyceridemia. The physical examination and blood work indicate your patient is likely manifesting symptoms of the metabolic syndrome. Which of the following would be a useful test to confirm this initial diagnosis?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

C-reactive protein (CRP) levels can be useful in assessing inflammation, which is often associated with metabolic syndrome. Elevated CRP levels can support the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome.  The metabolic syndrome, MetS is a disorder that defines a combination of metabolic and cardiovascular risk determinants. These risk factors include insulin resistance, hyperinsulinemia, central adiposity (obesity associated with excess fat deposits around the waist), dyslipidemia, glucose intolerance, hypertension, and a proinflammatory status. C-reactive protein is synthesized in the liver in response to proinflammatory cytokine release from macrophages and adipose tissue. The protein is a member of the acute phase proteins which are proteins whose levels increase in the blood in response to inflammation. Thus, measurement of CRP levels is excellent indicator of a proinflammatory status as is typical in the metabolic syndrome.

You Are Examining a 62-Year-Old Female Patient During a Routine