CRP and metabolic syndrome: In the validation cohort, the age distribution, hypertension, anti-CCP antibody positivity, rheumatoid factor positivity, ESR, and dyslipidemia of LDL-c, TC, triglycerides and HDL-c differed significantly between the RA and RA+CHD groups (all P<0.10), while CRP levels did not differ between the two groups in this cohort.