Interpretation of serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels for cardiovascular disease risk is complicated by race, pulmonary disease, body mass index, gender, and osteoarthritis

High sensitivity serum C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is used as a marker of risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD); however CRP is a non-specific acute phase reactant. We evaluated the association between hsCRP concentrations and the most common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis (OA), and assessed the applicability of hsCRP for CVD risk prediction