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The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) on the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a Chinese population. A total of 2,656 participants (aged 30 to 95 years) with baseline hs-CRP levels available were monitored for the incidence of a composite of CVD events (stroke and coronary heart disease) during a 5.5-year period. With increasing quartiles of hs-CRP (<0.47, 0.47 to 0.97, 0.97 to 2.09, and ≥2.09 mg/L), the incidence of CVD increased progressively (11.7, 16.4, 24.7, and 36.5 per 1,000 person-years, respectively). In a Cox model adjusted for other traditional risk factors (e.g., age, blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, lipids, body mass index, smoking status), elevated hs-CRP (≥2.0 mg/L) independently predicted the risk of CVD (hazard ratio 1.39; 95% confidence interval 1.04 to 1.87). The effect was especially significant for stroke (hazard ratio 1.58; confidence interval 1.08 to 2.31). In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that elevated hs-CRP (≥2.0 mg/L) is an effective predictor of CVD in a Chinese population. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]