Evolution of C-reactive protein as a cardiac risk factor

Abstract

During recent years, the importance of C-reactive protein (CRP) and its measurement in the laboratory has dramatically changed. Renewed interest in CRP emerged when it was reported that deaths arising from heart disease declined, yet up to one half of all myocardial infarctions occur in healthy men and women with normal plasma lipids. The purpose of this article is to review the role of chronic, low-grade inflammation in atherosclerosis and its association with CVD, the metabolic syndrome, and Type 2 diabetes. The common antecedents between inflammation with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes will also be discussed.