CRP and Other Circulating Markers of Inflammation in the Prediction of Coronary Heart Disease
Articles like these, if they get to the mainstream press (and I did see this one in one of the Phoenix major newspapers) will just add confusion. Basically, CRP is a risk factor for CHD. No question.
This study evaluated the available data and determined that the risk factor for higher CRP levels in about 1.45 times the risk. The authors strongly downplay this risk. However, they also note that cigarette smoking increases risk 1.87 times and elevated cholesteol 2.35 times. Considering how easy it is to lower CRP levels through dietary means, and considering that lowering overall inflammation will probably lower you risk of other chronic diseases, I cannot see why we would not consider CRP in our workup of CHD.
NEJM — C-Reactive Protein and Other Circulating Markers of Inflammation in the Prediction of Coronary Heart Disease.