We divided the JPAD participants according to the CRP level at enrollment; CRP ¡Ý 0.1 mg/dl: high CRP group, CRP < 0.1 mg/dl: low CRP group. The high CRP group consisted of 1131 patients and the low CRP group consisted of 398 patients.
There was no significant difference in the incidence of primary atherosclerotic events between the high CRP group and the low CRP group. Of the atherosclerotic events, the incidence of cerebrovascular events, however, was significantly higher in the high CRP group than in the low CRP group. The incidence of cerebrovascular events was higher in the high CRP group than in the low CRP group in patients without aspirin therapy, although there was no significant difference in the incidence of the cerebrovascular events between the high CRP group and the low CRP group in patients undergoing aspirin therapy.
Aspirin therapy may reduce cerebrovascular events in diabetic patients with higher CRP. Aspirin therapy could be an additional strategy as primary prevention for diabetic patients with higher CRP.