Sedentary behaviour is associated with elevated C-reactive protein levels in people with psychosis.

Psychosis is associated with elevated inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Using a cross sectional design, 250 participants with established psychosis (48.2years (SD 10.2), 39.2% female) were classified as having normal (<5.0mg/μl, N=159) or high CRP levels (>5.0mg/μl, N=91). Regression analysis demonstrated that higher sedentary behaviour was associated with elevated CRP levels (β=.155, p=.01) after adjustment for confounding variables. Female gender (β=.229, p=.001), waist circumference (β=.205, p=.003) and non-white ethnicity (β=.181, p=.005) were also associated with elevated CRP. Sedentary behaviour is modifiable and increasing physical activity may reduce CRP levels.