CRP and atherosclerosis: In addition, only three other traits had some of the variance explained by the same SNPs: ∼20% variance of Hba1c (glycated hemoglobin, a measure of the average glucose plasma levels over time); ∼18% of CRP (C-reactive protein, an independent biomarker for cardiovascular diseases) (Kones 2010); and ∼40% of CIMT (carotid intima-media thickness, a measure of atherosclerosis).