Given a passage with a context and an answer, construct a question on the basis of the information present in the passage. Construct the question in such a way that (i) it is unambiguous, (ii) it is answerable from the passage, (iii) its answer is unique (iv) it answer uses text phrases from the passage. Avoid creating questions that (i) can't be answered correctly without actually understanding the passage and (ii) uses the same words or phrases given in the passage.
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Question: Context: The independent prognostic value of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) has been questioned, and consequently we decided to investigate whether hsCRP was associated with subclinical cardiovascular (CV) damage independently of traditional CV risk factors.', 'In a population-based sample of 2028 apparently healthy individuals without prior stroke or myocardial infarction not receiving any CV, anti-diabetic or lipid-lowering treatment, aged 41, 51, 61 or 71 years, we measured in 1993 serum hsCRP, traditional CV risk factors (lifestyle, metabolic and hemodynamic) and assessed subclinical CV damage [atherosclerotic plaques in the carotid arteries, pulse wave velocity (PWV), urine albumin/creatinine ratio (UACR), left ventricular (LV) mass and ejection fraction].', 'Adjusting for age and gender in multiple regression analyses, higher log(hsCRP) was associated with higher logPWV (beta = 0.15) and log(left ventricular mass index) (LVMI) (beta = 0.09, both P < 0.001), LV relative wall thickness (beta = 0.07, P < 0.01), logUACR (beta = 0.04, P = 0.06) and more atherosclerotic plaques (beta = 0.06, P < 0.05). However, higher log(hsCRP) was only weakly associated with higher logPWV(beta = 0.06, P < 0.05) and more atherosclerotic plaques (beta = 0.04, P = 0.06) when adjusting for other significant CV risk factors, such as daily smoking (beta = 0.18), female gender (beta = -0.17), older age (beta = 0.11), lower log(high density lipoprotein cholesterol) (beta = -0.11, all P < 0.001); wider waist (beta = 0.17), higher body mass index (beta = 0.14), higher heart rate (beta = 0.06, all P < 0.01); and higher log(plasma glucose) (beta = 0.05, P < 0.05) (adj. R2 = 0.19, P < 0.001).
Answer: After adjustment for traditional CV risk factors hsCRP was only associated with PWV and atherosclerotic plaques, indicating a possible effect of low-grade inflammation on macrovascular damage. The close relationship between traditional CV risk factors and hsCRP suggested that hsCRP was an integrated CV risk marker early in the development of atherosclerosis.

Answer: Is high-sensitivity C-reactive protein only weakly related to cardiovascular damage after adjustment for traditional cardiovascular risk factors?

Question: Context: Human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) play an important role in disease modeling and drug testing. However, the current methods are time-consuming and lack an isogenic control.', 'This study sought to establish an efficient technology to generate human PSC-based disease models with isogenic control.', 'The ion channel genes KCNQ1 and KCNH2 with dominant negative mutations causing long QT syndrome types 1 and 2, respectively, were stably integrated into a safe harbor AAVS1 locus using zinc finger nuclease technology.', 'Patch-clamp recording revealed that the edited iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (iPSC-CMs) displayed characteristic long QT syndrome phenotype and significant prolongation of the action potential duration compared with the unedited control cells. Finally, addition of nifedipine (L-type calcium channel blocker) or pinacidil (KATP-channel opener) shortened the action potential duration of iPSC-CMs, confirming the validity of isogenic iPSC lines for drug testing in the future.
Answer: Our study demonstrates that iPSC-CM-based disease models can be rapidly generated by overexpression of dominant negative gene mutants.

Answer: Does genome editing of isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cells recapitulate long QT phenotype for drug testing?

Question: Context: Smoking cessation rapidly reduces cardiovascular risk. The pathophysiological mechanisms involved are still being debated. We measured structural and functional arterial wall properties of the femoral and carotid arteries after smoking cessation to investigate their possible role in cardiovascular risk reduction.', 'Out of 127 smokers, 33 proved to stop smoking for two years. They were compared with 50 nonsmokers and 55 persistent smokers in a prospective study. Cross-sectional compliance and distensibility coefficients as well as intima-media thickness of both carotid arteries and of the right common femoral artery were measured ultrasonographically at baseline and 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after smoking cessation. The nonsmoking and persistent smokers group were measured twice at an interval of 24 months.', 'Persistent smoking and two years of smoking cessation did not affect cross-sectional compliance and distensibility coefficients. Although at baseline intimal-medial layers were thicker in smokers, the change over time in intima-media thickness did not differ significantly between all three groups.
Answer: Two years of smoking cessation was not accompanied by a slower progression or a regression in intima-media thickness nor by an improved cross-sectional compliance or distensiblity coefficient. Nevertheless, smoking cessation should be recommended as it reduces cardiovascular risk rapidly after smoking cessation.

Answer:
Does two years of smoking cessation reduce arterial wall thickness and stiffness?