Inflammation was shown to be an independent risk factor for heart attack and stroke for years. Even the MRFIT study and Framingham over 20 years ago showed that elevated CRP (C-reactive protein) causes heart attack and stroke.
Paul Ridker and Gavin Blake noticed in the WOSCOP trial that the decrease in heart attacks and stroke were higher than you'd expect from the impact on LDL and the minor impact on the size of the plaque. Also, they noticed an improvement in the major available marker for inflammation (at that time): CRP. So they designed the JUPITER study and published it in the New England Journal. They selected only people with low LDL and high CRP. They had a big decrease in heart attack and stroke.
Paul Ridker made the headlines in August 2017 with the topic of inflammation and CV risk. The study was CANTOS, using the major anti-inflammatory drug Ilaris. It made a big decrease in not only heart attack and stroke but even with cancer.
Unfortunately, the number of lives saved from prevented heart attacks, strokes, and cancer were all given back with increased deaths due to serious infection. That's not surprising; Ilaris is a heavy-duty anti-inflammatory used to stop inflammation associated with major auto-immune diseases. That level of anti-inflammation is likely to cripple the body's immune system. In these cases, it resulted in death due to serious infection.
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