Adjusting for CVD risk factors such as high total cholesterol and hypertension resulted in a moderate attenuation (decrease of 3.5%) of the association between combined CMV seropositivity and high CRP level and CVD-related mortality, supporting the hypothesis that CMV seropositivity along with subclinical inflammation impacts risk for mortality in part through their combined contribution to other more proximal CVD risk factors. Here, CRP is linked to Hypertension.