14. As part of the Women's Health Study, researchers wished to investigate the role of systemic inflammation in predicting cardiovascular disease in women (N Engl J Med. 2002;347[20]:1557-1565). Researchers used a prospective study design with a large sample size. Blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured at baseline and women were followed for an average of 8 years. The following table shows the relative risk estimates of a cardiovascular event (heart attack or stroke) within 5 years by quintile of CRP level for the 30,000 women. The first quintile is used as the reference category. Quintile of CRP Level 2 3 4 0.49 >0.49- 1.08 >1.08-2.09 >2.09-4.19 >4.19 mg/dL mg/dL mg/dL mg/dL mg/dL Relative Risk 1.0 1.8 2.3 3.2 4.5 Number of 6000 6000 6000 6000 6000 Women