He said maternal placental syndrome should now be considered as an additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease in women.

BBC: NEWS | Health | Placenta clues to heart disease

And general atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and heart failure.

FORBES: Is Breathing Smoggy Air Hardening Your Arteries?

Cholesterol is clearly not the only risk factor for cardiovascular disease -- half of all heart attacks occur in people with normal levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol -- but the accuracy of CRP as a predictor of cardiac risk has been disputed.

CNN: FDA considers statin use for those with normal cholesterol