C-reactive protein and cardiovascular risk in the general population

Background and aims: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is a marker of inflammation and predicts cardiovascular (CV) risk in individuals without known atherosclerotic CV disease (ASCVD). More information about its clinical relevance will help evaluate the general utility of hsCRP as a routine clinical biomarker to identify patients at residual risk. Methods: In this population-based study, hsCRP was measured in 448 653 UK Biobank participants without known ASCVD. The association of hsCRP with major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), CV death and all-cause death was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. Conclusions: These data confirm hsCRP as a clinically relevant predictor of CV events in individuals without known ASCVD and support its assessment in primary prevention.