To continue our work on inflammation, we contracted with Dr. Russell Tracey to measure IL-6, D-dimer, Plasmin-alpha-2-antiplasmin, and ICAM-1, in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) on subjects who died of causes other than cardiovascular disease. In our analysis of data from the iowa EPESE Study of IL-6 and CRP, we found that all-cause mortality, both cardiovascular and other mortality, was associated with higher IL-6 and CRP. The CHS has a major case/cohort study to examine the association of IL-6 and the above analytes with cardiovascular outcomes; we have agreed to support the analysis of all other deaths to see if similar factors predict other mortality, particularly cancer related mortality and to see if this association is mediated by markers of endothelial dysfunction and activation of coagulation available in CHS.
