C reactive protein (CRP) is an independent risk factor the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD), researchers have concluded.

In a study of 4,345 patients attending a screening center in Israel, CKD developed in 42 (1%) during a mean follow-up of 7.6 years. After controlling for established renal risk factors, elevated CRP levels were associated with a 5.4 times increased odds of CKD, Eitan Kugler, MD, of Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel, and colleagues reported online in the Journal of Nephrology. CRP’s predictive value is enhanced in patients with diabetes, hypertension, or baseline estimated glomerular filtration rate of 60–90 mL/min/1.73 m2, they noted.