BackgroundDyslipidemia and inflammation are significant factors for the onset of cardiovascular diseases (CVD); however, studies regarding their interactions on the risk of CVD are scarce. This study aimed to assess the interaction of dyslipidemia and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) on CVD.MethodsThis prospective cohort enrolled 4,128 adults at baseline in 2009 and followed them up until May 2022 for collecting CVD events. Cox-proportional hazard regression analysis estimated the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of the associations of increased hs-CRP (≥ 1 mg/L) and dyslipidemia with CVD. The additive interactions were explored using the relative excess risk of interaction (RERI) and the multiplicative interactions were assessed withHRs(95%CI) while the multiplicative interactions were assessed by the HRs (95% CI) of interaction terms.ResultsThe HRs of the association between increased hs-CRP and CVD were 1.42 (95%CI: 1.14–1.79) and 1.17 (95%CI: 0.89–1.53) among subjects with normal lipid levels and subjects with dyslipidemia, respectively. Stratified analyses by hs-CRP levels showed that among participants with normal hs-CRP (< 1 mg/L), TC ≥ 240 mg/dL, LDL-C ≥ 160 mg/dL, non-HDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL, ApoB < 0.7 g/L, and LDL/HDL-C ≥ 2.02 were associated with CVD [HRs(95%CIs): 1.75 (1.21–2.54), 2.16 (1.37–3.41), 1.95 (1.29–2.97), 1.37 (1.01–1.67), and 1.30 (1.00-1.69), allP< 0.05, respectively]. While in the population with increased hs-CRP, only ApoAI > 2.10 g/L had a significant association with CVD [HR(95% CI): 1.69 (1.14–2.51)]. Interaction analyses showed that increased hs-CRP had multiplicative and additive interactions with LDL-C ≥ 160 mg/dL and non-HDL-C ≥ 190 mg/dL on the risk of CVD [HRs(95%CIs): 0.309 (0.153–0.621), and 0.505 (0.295–0.866); RERIs (95%CIs): -1.704 (-3.430-0.021 and − 0.694 (-1.476-0.089), respectively, allP< 0.05].ConclusionOverall our findings indicate negative interactions between abnormal blood lipid levels and hs-CRP on the risk of CVD. Further large-scale cohort studies with trajectories measurement of lipids and hs-CRP might verify our results as well explore the biological mechanism behind that interaction.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12944-023-01836-w.