C-reactive protein is a bystander of cardiovascular disease

A large number of studies have evaluated the association of hs-C-reactive protein with atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (CHD) in mechanistic, genetic, population-based studies, as well as clinical trials. This paper reviews the collective evidence to determine if hs-C-reactive protein is part of the causal pathway of atherosclerosis and CHD or whether it is a bystander.