NPPB and chronic kidney disease: In the patients with ACS evaluated in this study, according to our univariate regression analysis of circulating hsCRP levels above the 3 mg/L hsCRP threshold, commonly defined as a cardiovascular risk factor associated with poor prognosis in other studies (22), were further associated with the female gender (p = 0.007) and with common cardiovascular risk factors such as obesity (p = 0.054), diabetes (p = 0.047), older age (>65 years; p = 0.010), chronic kidney disease (eGFR <45; p = 0.034), and increased baseline BNP levels (p = 0.001).