However, neither IL-6 nor N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide showed sufficient predictive power to be of clinical value.   15  In a 4-year prospective cohort study of inflammatory markers, higher levels of IL-6, CRP, and fibrinogen were shown to be associated with an increased risk of recurrent vascular events, vascular death after stroke, and nonvascular causes of death. This evidence concerns the gene CRP and Stroke.