The relationship between high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels and asthma in middle-aged and elderly Chinese population: a cross-sectional study based on China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS)

BACKGROUND: Systemic inflammation has been increasingly recognized as a potential contributor to asthma pathogenesis, particularly in middle-aged and older populations. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the association between serum High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and asthma in middle-aged and older adults in China. METHODS: Data were drawn from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2011-2015). After performing 6:1 propensity score matching (PSM), a total of 3,677 participants aged ≥45 years were included in the analysis. Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to assess the association between hs-CRP levels, relevant covariates, and asthma prevalence. RESULTS: = 0.018). CONCLUSION: Elevated hs-CRP levels are significantly associated with asthma in Chinese adults over 45 years of age. Asthma also shows a notable comorbidity with CVD in this population. Early identification and management of systemic inflammation may help reduce the overall burden of asthma and related conditions in older adults.