CRP and chronic kidney disease: After adjusting for age, sex, baseline eGFR, albumin, high-sensitivity CRP, proteinuria, ferritin, transferrin saturation and ESA responsiveness, increased MCV remained independently associated with a reduced risk of renal function decline (adjusted hazard ratio 0.67; 95% confidence interval 0.53-0.85; p < 0.001).<h4>Conclusion</h4>In ESA-naïve patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD, an increase in MCV following ESA treatment was associated with a significantly lower risk of renal function decline.