High CRP levels linked to the higher rates of death in patients with ASCVD and CKD, new research shows

LCP Health Analytics and Imperial College London, in collaboration with Novo Nordisk, have presented new findings at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2025.

The research has revealed that higher systemic inflammation is strongly associated with greater healthcare utilisation, higher healthcare costs, and worse outcomes in patients with a specific type of heart disease, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), and chronic kidney disease (CKD). These conditions affect a significant proportion of the population, as around 8% of people in the USA and Europe have ASCVD, and roughly one third of them also have CKD.

Patients with both ASCVD and CKD face serious challenges and a much higher risk of death compared to those living with just one of these conditions. However, it is less clear how the level of systemic inflammation is associated with mortality and other outcomes in people with ASCVD or CKD or both, leaving a key knowledge gap that needs to be addressed.

To explore this, the experts analysed data from the Discover database, an electronic health record dataset covering 2.7 million people living in North West London, UK. They identified clinical groups of adults, including those with ASCVD only, CKD stages 3 to 4 only, or both conditions. Patients were then grouped based on their C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, a key marker of systemic inflammation.

Key findings include:

• Individuals with the highest CRP levels had the highest risk of death, most noticeably in a cohort with both ASCVD and CKD.
• Healthcare resource utilisation and costs were also greatest among individuals with both conditions.
• Evidence of unmet need was strongest in patients with the highest CRP levels within each clinical group.

These findings show that elevated CRP levels in patients with ASCVD and CKD can help identify those at the highest risk. These patients with high CRP may benefit from closer monitoring and more intensive treatment of their risk factors. Additionally, emerging therapies that target inflammation directly are under evaluation and could potentially offer new options to ease the burden on healthcare systems for this vulnerable population.