CRP and essential hypertension: The same authors showed that consumption of four cups of green tea per day for four weeks significantly reduced the levels of CRP in smokers, suggesting anti-inflammatory action of catechins in humans.[18] Yilmaz et al. [19], in a clinical trial on a group of 244 patients with primary hypertension, showed that a diet with a high content of salt exacerbates inflammation expressed by increased CRP concentration independently from blood pressure.