1 Postgraduate Resident, Department of General Medicine, School of Medical Sciences & Research, Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 Postgraduate Resident, Department of General Medicine, School of Medical Sciences & Research, Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
3* Professor & Head, Department of General Medicine, School of Medical Sciences & Research, Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India (Corresponding Author)
4 Postgraduate Resident, Department of General Medicine, School of Medical Sciences & Research, Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
5 Postgraduate Resident, Department of General Medicine, School of Medical Sciences & Research, Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
Background
Systemic inflammation is increasingly recognised as a contributor to hypertension pathophysiology. C-reactive protein (CRP), a widely available inflammatory marker, has been associated with elevated blood pressure in various populations, yet data on newly detected, treatment-naïve hypertensive individuals remain limited, particularly in Indian settings.
Aim
To evaluate CRP levels in newly detected hypertensive adults compared with normotensive controls and to assess the relationship between CRP and hypertension grade according to the European Society of Hypertension (ESH) 2023 classification.
Methods
This case-control observational study was conducted at Sharda Hospital, Greater Noida, from April 2024 to November 2025. A total of 180 participants were enrolled: 90 newly detected, treatment-naïve hypertensive cases and 90 age- and sex-matched normotensive controls. Hypertension was defined and graded using ESH 2023 criteria. CRP was measured using immunoturbidimetric assay. Statistical analyses included independent t-tests for group comparisons, Pearson correlation for CRP-blood pressure relationships, one-way ANOVA for CRP across hypertension grades, and Spearman correlation for ordinal trend assessment.
Results
Hypertensive cases demonstrated markedly higher CRP levels than controls (26.98 ± 4.54 vs 5.14 ± 2.37 mg/L; p < 0.001). CRP showed strong positive correlations with both systolic blood pressure (r = 0.921, p < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.858, p < 0.001). Among hypertensive cases, CRP increased progressively across ESH grades: Grade 1 (21.83 ± 2.27 mg/L), Grade 2 (28.56 ± 2.78 mg/L), and Grade 3 (35.60 ± 2.86 mg/L), with significant differences confirmed by ANOVA (F = 89.128, p < 0.001). Spearman correlation demonstrated a strong ordinal association between hypertension grade and CRP (ρ = 0.772, p < 0.001).
Conclusion
In newly detected, treatment-naïve adults, CRP levels are significantly elevated in hypertensive individuals compared with normotensive controls and increase progressively with hypertension severity. These findings support an inflammatory association with hypertension and suggest CRP may serve as a marker of disease severity in early hypertension.
Keywords: C-reactive protein; hypertension; inflammation; ESH 2023; blood pressure; newly detected hypertension
How to cite this article: Kaushik RD, Ansari A, Sharma D, Ahlawat R, Sharma N. C-Reactive Protein and Hypertension Grade in Newly Detected, Treatment-Naïve Adults: A Case-Control Study. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(21s): 537-548. DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.21s.57
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: Nil.