Association of C-reactive protein with future development of diabetes: a population-based 7-year cohort study among Norwegian adults aged 30 and older in the Tromsø Study 2007-2016

Raised hs-CRP was associated with future diabetes development in a Norwegian adult population sample. The CRP-diabetes association could not be fully explained by obesity or hypertension.

There were 320 (4.0%) diabetes cases after 7 years. After multivariable adjustment including obesity and hypertension, individuals in the highest hs-CRP tertile 3 had 73% higher odds of developing diabetes (OR 1.73; p=0.004; 95% CI 1.20 to 2.49) when compared with the lowest tertile or 28% higher odds of incidence per one-log of hs-CRP increment (OR 1.28; p=0.003; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.50). There was no evidence for interaction between hs-CRP and sex, hypertension, BMI or abdominal obesity. Conclusions: Raised hs-CRP was associated with future diabetes development in a Norwegian adult population sample. The CRP-diabetes association could not be fully explained by obesity or hypertension.