Inflammatory Bio-markers and Non-dipping: What’s New?

Research on risk factors and underlying mechanisms of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has rapidly evolved and expanded in recent decades. In particular, a large body of evidence has supported the view that systemic inflammation could be a key driver of CVD.1,2 In this field of investigation, many biomarkers of systemic inflammation, derived from routine blood tests, have been linked to CVD, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), fibrinogen, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, and platelet counts. Plasma albumin, as an index of nutrition and chronic inflammation, has been increasingly used to optimize the clinical and prognostic value of some markers, namely hsCRP-to-albumin ratio and neutrophil percentage-to-albumin ratio (NPAR). In recent years, the NPAR has received particular attention. as a novel integrated measure of the complex interplay of inflammation and nutritional status. This is because neutrophils play a pivotal role in mediating inflammatory responses, and plasma albumin has several important functions, including osmoregulation, antioxidation, and antiinflammation. Hypoalbuminemia, reflecting both inflammatory and nutritional status, is regarded as a marker of chronic disease and malnutrition.