Other authors have also highlighted BMI’s complex role: Lim et al found that both BMI and CRP showed inverse associations with DR, raising the possibility that obesity-related metabolic factors modify DR risk.12 In contrast, Yang et al adjusted for BMI (and many other covariates) and still observed an inverse CRP–DR link.20 Our data cannot definitively resolve these contradictions; we found that the CRP–DR relationship holds in both lean and overweight subgroups. The gene discussed is CRP; the disease is obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.