CRP and atherosclerosis: Moreover, in hypertensive patients, the presence of high CRP levels appears to be associated with a more frequent development of comorbid cardiovascular diseases and a less favourable cardiovascular outcome [6,7,8] through the occurrence or worsening of some specific complications related to the pathophysiology of hypertension that are deleterious to the cardiovascular system (vascular stiffness, atherosclerosis and end-organ damage) [9].