CRP and cancer: Previous MR studies suggest that higher reticulocyte count and possibly haemoglobin, haematocrit and red blood cell count increase CAD risk [35, 42, 45]; higher IGF-1 increases the risk of CAD and some cancers [46–49]; and CRP has a neutral role in CAD, cancer and lifespan [50–52], whilst lower calcium decreases CAD risk and increases lifespan [53, 54].