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Study Dismisses Protein's Role in Heart Disease

from the New York Times (Registration Required)

A blood protein that only a short time ago was thought by some to be more important than cholesterol in heart disease now appears to be little more than a bystander.

The substance, C-reactive protein, or CRP, a marker of inflammation in the body, is unquestionably associated with heart disease: the more CRP in a person's blood, the greater the likelihood of heart disease.

But in a paper to be published Wednesday in The Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers analyzing genetic data from more than 100,000 people conclude that their study "argues against" the notion that the protein causes heart disease.