Millions More Americans Might Be Placed ...(nne Steinbaum director of women and hear...),Health

"What we can glean from this kind of study is that patients we might consider to be at borderline risk, if they have inflammation, we should classify them at a higher risk factor status, she said. "If there is evidence of inflammation, I will start them on a statin."

One major issue noted in the analysis is that a large number of older Americans who are eligible for statin therapy on the basis of LDL cholesterol readings are not taking the medications, Spatz said.

"If we are to adopt the findings of the JUPITER trial, physicians will be challenged to reach that segment of the population that will benefit from statins," she said.

More information

There's more on CRP at the American Heart Association.

SOURCES: Erica S. Spatz, M.D., internist and fellow, Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars program, Yale University, New Haven, Conn; Timothy J. Gardner, M.D., president, American Heart Association, and medical director, Center for Heart and Vascular Health, Christiana Health Care System, New Castle, Del.; Suzanne Steinbaum, M.D., director of women and heart disease, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Jan. 13, 2009, Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes