Two in five heart failure and CKD patients show elevated cardiovascular inflammation

Dubai: New findings from the POSEIDON real-world study show that cardiovascular (CV) inflammation remains common among people with cardiovascular disease despite receiving standard treatments to control cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar.

Presented by Novo Nordisk at the 94th European Atherosclerosis Society (EAS) Congress in Athens, the study found that 42.7% of patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) had elevated cardiovascular inflammation, measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels of 2 mg/L or higher. A separate analysis published in the European Journal of Heart Failure showed that two in five patients with heart failure also had elevated inflammatory risk.

The POSEIDON study enrolled 18,904 patients across 18 countries between 2023 and 2025, making it one of the largest contemporary assessments of cardiovascular inflammation in high-risk populations. Researchers found that persistent inflammation remains a significant contributor to cardiovascular risk, even among patients receiving guideline-recommended therapies.

“Cardiovascular inflammation represents a significant source of persistent risk in people living with ASCVD, CKD or heart failure despite standard treatment,” said Filip Knop, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at Novo Nordisk.

Cardiovascular inflammation is increasingly recognized as a key driver of atherosclerotic disease progression and is associated with a higher risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death. It also plays an important role in heart failure and kidney disease, particularly among people with obesity and other metabolic conditions.

Professor Carolyn S.P. Lam of the National Heart Centre Singapore said the study highlights inflammation as a shared driver of risk across diverse patient populations and supports the development of therapies that directly target inflammation.

Novo Nordisk also announced that a similar study assessing cardiovascular inflammation among patients in Saudi Arabia and the UAE has been completed, with results expected to be presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2026 in Munich.