After adjustment for age, gender, race/ethnicity, country of origin, education level, BMI (kg/m2), smoking status, diabetes status and NSAID use, the highest HR for all-cause and CVD-related mortality was found among people who were both CMV seropositive and had high CRP levels (HR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.31, 1.94, and HR 1.71, 95% CI: 1.21, 2.42, respectively), compared to CMV seronegative subjects with low CRP. Here, CRP is linked to diabetes mellitus.