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C-reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase reactant synthesized by the liver, is widely used clinically to evaluate patient health, and is employed in basic science studies as a biomarker of inflammation. CRP levels vary with age and differ among racial groups. From 2004 to 2009, blood samples were collected from 1,244 participants in the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) study, a longitudinal study of health and aging. In a parallel study conducted in Japan, Survey of Midlife Development in Japan (MIDJA), blood was collected from 382 participants. Plasma was assayed at the University of Vermont Colchester for CRP, an indicator of inflammatory activity and risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Initially, this laboratory used a bead-based immunoturbidimetric assay (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, New Castle, DE) with a range of 0.175-1100 mg/L. There were very pronounced age, gender, and …