CRP and chronic kidney disease: Cigarette smoking independently contributes to the development of CKD.[57] It causes decline in kidney function and is associated with elevated CRP, an inflammatory marker.[57,58] Smoking cessation is of great clinical importance in individuals with DM due to the synergistic interaction between smoking and other cardiovascular risk factors, and causes deterioration of kidney functions through its effects on albumin excretion, thus, increasing the risk of micro-albuminuria.[59]