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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

I read with interest the recent article by Miller et al.¹ The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to "evaluate the extent to which high CRP [C-reactive protein] levels may simply reflect expression of the pathobiological changes induced by conventional CHD [coronary heart disease] risk factors."^{1(pp2063-2064)} The authors concluded that "These data suggest that elevated CRP level in the general population are in large measure attributable to traditional CHD risk factors."^1(p2063)

There is no doubt that CRP level and other measures of inflammation are associated with traditional risk factors. However, the causal relationships are unclear. Even though several traditional risk factors have proinflammatory effects, many studies suggest that there are also opposite relationships. Longitudinal studies have shown that elevated levels of acute-phase proteins predict the development of high blood pressure² and risk for incurring large weight gain.³ Many studies have reported a relationship between inflammation and development of diabetes.⁴ It . . . [Full Text of this Article]

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Gunnar Engström, MD, PhD

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