C-reactive protein, interleukin 6, and risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Context: Inflammation is hypothesized to play a role in development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM); however, clinical data addressing this issue are limited. Objective: To determine whether elevated levels of the inflammatory markers interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are associated with development of type 2 DM in healthy middle-aged women. Design: Prospective, nested case-control study. Setting: The Women's Health Study, an ongoing US primary prevention, randomized clinical trial initiated in 1992. Participants: From a nationwide cohort of 27628 women free of diagnosed DM, cardiovascular disease, and cancer at baseline, 188 women who developed diagnosed DM over a 4-year follow-up period were defined as cases and matched by age and fasting status with 362 disease-free controls. Main Outcome Measures: Incidence of confirmed clinically diagnosed type 2 DM by baseline levels of IL-6 and CRP. Results: Baseline levels of IL-6 (P