Key finding
Each 3-fold (1-SD) higher log-CRP associated with 1.55x non-vascular mortality (95% CI 1.41–1.69) and similar magnitude for vascular mortality, in an individual-participant meta-analysis of 160,309 people across 54 studies
Evidence & causal status
Strong
Causal role debated; CRP likely partly a marker of underlying inflammation/disease rather than a direct cause
Caveats & limitations
Reliability / bias notes: Association attenuates but persists after adjusting for conventional risk factors and fibrinogen; residual confounding by subclinical illness possible
This describes a population-level association from published research. It is not a prediction about any one individual, and association is not the same as causation unless stated otherwise above.