Coronary disease & ACSSecondary analysis
Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein prognostic value following acute coronary syndrome
- Secondary analysis of the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES randomised trial
- post hoc analysis
Authors' conclusion
In patients with recent ACS, hsCRP independently predicted MACE, while both hsCRP and IL-6 predicted death. Together, the two markers provided complementary prognostic information.
Study context
- Population
- Post-ACS patients on optimized statin therapy in the ODYSSEY OUTCOMES trial (alirocumab vs placebo)with baseline high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and IL-6
- Participants
- 11,817 patients
- Comparison
- Prognostic value of hsCRP and IL-6 after acute coronary syndrome (ACS)
- Primary endpoint
- MACE
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
hsCRP independent predictor of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (adjusted for IL-6 and covariates)
P < .0001
IL-6 not an independent predictor of MACE
P = .21
hsCRP independently predicted death
P < .0001
IL-6 independently predicted death
P = .0003
Further findings
Baseline biomarker levels
- Median hsCRP
- 1.54 mg/L
- Median IL-6
- 5.00 pg/ml
- Median low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C)
- 86 mg/dl
- hsCRP–IL-6 correlation
- r = 0.52
Interaction with treatment
- Relationships did not depend on treatment
- all Pinteraction > .25
MACE and death, dichotomized hsCRP (2 mg/L) and IL-6 (5 pg/ml)
- Risks significantly elevated when both markers elevated, not when one
Original publication
Interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein prognostic value following acute coronary syndrome. Eur Heart J. Published 26 May 2026. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehag317
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it