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Published on: January 28, 2021

Increased plasma apolipoprotein C-III concentration independently predicts cardiovascular mortality: the Hoorn Study

Peter G Scheffer1, Tom Teerlink, Jacqueline M Dekker

  • 1Metabolic Laboratory, Department of Clinical Chemistry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. p.scheffer@vumc.nl

Clinical Chemistry
|June 17, 2008
PubMed

Insights

High levels of apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) predict cardiovascular mortality, even after accounting for triglycerides and other risk factors. This finding highlights apoC-III as a key biomarker for heart disease risk.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular disease research
  • Lipoprotein metabolism
  • Biomarker discovery

Background:

  • Hypertriglyceridemia is a significant cardiovascular risk factor.
  • Apolipoprotein C-III (apoC-III) influences the breakdown of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins.
  • Understanding apoC-III's role in cardiovascular risk is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the predictive capability of plasma apoC-III levels for cardiovascular mortality.
  • To determine if apoC-III is an independent predictor of cardiovascular death.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study of 2244 participants (ages 49-77) from the Hoorn Study.
  • Mean follow-up of 15 years, recording 504 deaths (231 cardiovascular).
  • Baseline measurements included cardiovascular risk factors and plasma apoC-III concentrations.

Main Results:

  • Plasma apoC-III concentration showed a significant prospective association with cardiovascular mortality (P < 0.001).
  • The highest quartile of apoC-III had a 1.85-fold increased hazard ratio for cardiovascular death, independent of triglycerides.
  • No association was found between high apoC-III and non-cardiovascular mortality.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated plasma apoC-III independently predicts cardiovascular mortality in the general population.
  • ApoC-III serves as a valuable prognostic marker for cardiovascular disease risk.
  • These findings emphasize the importance of monitoring apoC-III in managing cardiovascular health.
Abstract

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