Systemic inflammation has emerged as a key factor influencing mortality in patients with cardiovascular and kidney disease. These findings were presented at ESC 2025, underscoring the prognostic significance of C-reactive protein (CRP) in high-risk populations.

This observational study used the Discover electronic health record database, including nearly 100,000 adults in North West London. Cohorts included individuals with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease only, chronic kidney disease stages 3–4 only, or both conditions, alongside a reference cohort without either condition. Mortality was assessed from 2015 to 2019 and stratified by CRP quartiles. 

All-cause mortality was highest among patients with both cardiovascular and kidney disease (5163 per 100,000 person-years), compared to 946 per 100,000 in the reference cohort. Across all groups, higher CRP levels predicted increased mortality, with rates in the top quartile at least double those in the lowest quartile. The highest observed mortality occurred in patients with both diseases in the highest CRP quartile (7991 per 100,000 person-years).

These results indicate that CRP is a powerful marker for risk stratification, especially when cardiovascular and kidney disease coexist. Targeting systemic inflammation could guide more intensive clinical management and inform future therapeutic strategies.