Cardiovascular inflammation risk remains a silent but formidable adversary for millions of patients worldwide, even those receiving modern medical interventions. New data from Novo Nordisk’s landmark POSEIDON study, presented today at the 94th European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress in Athens, Greece, confirms that a significant portion of patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) continue to face high inflammatory markers despite being on standard-of-care treatments.
The POSEIDON real-world evidence study, which analyzed 18,904 patients across 18 countries, found that 2 in 5 individuals living with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), or heart failure exhibit persistent inflammation. Specifically, the study defined this risk using high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels of ≥2 mg/L, a widely recognized biomarker for systemic inflammation.
The Persistence of Cardiovascular Inflammation Risk in Modern Medicine
This data suggests that the current “gold standard” of treatment, which focuses heavily on managing LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose, is leaving a massive window of vulnerability open. While these treatments are essential, they do not directly neutralize the cardiovascular inflammation risk that drives the progression of arterial plaque and kidney degradation. The study noted that 42.7% of patients with both ASCVD and CKD fell into this high-risk category, emphasizing a cycle where kidney dysfunction and vascular inflammation feed into one another.
The POSEIDON study provides critical evidence that cardiovascular inflammation risk represents a significant source of persistent danger in people living with ASCVD and CKD or heart failure,
Learn MoreUnderstanding the scope of this inflammatory risk is essential as we continue our innovation-driven research to develop first-in-class therapies to address this unmet need.
Filip Knop, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Novo Nordisk
The findings are particularly striking for heart failure patients. A secondary analysis published in the European Journal of Heart Failure showed that the same 2-in-5 ratio applies across all types of heart failure, including those with preserved, mildly reduced, or reduced ejection fractions. This suggests that inflammation is not a byproduct of specific cardiac mechanics but a “shared driver” of the disease across diverse metabolic conditions such as obesity and kidney disease.
Reforming the Clinical Approach to Residual Risk
Professor Carolyn S.P. Lam of the National Heart Centre Singapore noted that these findings should fundamentally change how clinicians view “residual risk.” Rather than seeing inflammation as a peripheral concern, it should be treated as a primary target for intervention. The consistency of these results across 18 countries highlights a global deficit in how we manage cardiovascular inflammation risk.
Leading health organizations are already beginning to pivot. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) have recently updated guidelines to include elevated hsCRP as a key risk-modifying biomarker. This encourages physicians to look beyond the lipid panel and consider the inflammatory profile of their patients to guide more intensive preventive strategies.
POSEIDON Study: Data Overview for Clinical Analysis
Patient Cohort and Inflammation Prevalence
| Patient Category | Total Enrolled (N) | High Inflammatory Risk (hsCRP ≥2 mg/L) | Prevalence (%) |
| Total POSEIDON Cohort | 18,904 | ~7,562 | 40.0% |
| ASCVD (Total) | 13,475 | 5,390 | 40.0% |
| ASCVD with CKD | 5,757 | 2,458 | 42.7% |
| Heart Failure (All Types) | 11,809 | 4,724 | 40.0% |
Study Parameters and Methodology
| Parameter | Value/Description |
| Study Type | Evaluate the prevalence of high inflammatory risk in standard-care patients |
| Timeframe | 2023 – 2025 |
| Geographic Scope | 18 Countries (Europe, North/South America, Asia-Pacific) |
| Primary Biomarker | high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) |
| Exclusion Criteria | Recent infections, hospitalizations, or unplanned medical visits |
| Goal | Evaluate prevalence of high inflammatory risk in standard-care patients |
Understanding the Mechanism
The cardiovascular inflammation risk is intrinsically linked to how our immune systems respond to arterial damage. When hsCRP levels remain elevated, it signals that the body is in a state of chronic low-grade inflammation, which accelerates the hardening of arteries and increases the likelihood of plaque rupture, the primary cause of heart attacks and strokes.
