CRP and metabolic syndrome: After adjusting according to potential confounders, such as age, sex, and smoking, hypertension, type 2 DM, dyslipidemia, hcy, and CRP, CysC is an independent risk factor for large cerebral artery stenosis in patients with AIS (OR=17.46, 95 %CI 2.70−113.14, p=0.003; Table 3).