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Association of cystatin C with left ventricular structure and function: the Dallas Heart Study

Parag C Patel1, Colby R Ayers, Sabina A Murphy

  • 1Division of Cardiology, Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX 75390-9047, USA.

Circulation. Heart Failure
|October 8, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Elevated cystatin C levels are linked to preclinical heart abnormalities, specifically increased left ventricular (LV) mass and concentric hypertrophy, even in younger adults. This finding suggests cystatin C may help identify early structural heart changes.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology
  • Biomarker Research

Background:

  • Cystatin C is a emerging marker for kidney function.
  • Previous studies linked cystatin C to heart failure and mortality in older adults.
  • The association with preclinical cardiac changes in younger populations is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between cystatin C levels and subclinical cardiac structural and functional abnormalities.
  • To test if cystatin C is associated with preclinical cardiac changes in a younger, population-based sample.

Main Methods:

  • The Dallas Heart Study cohort (ages 30-65) was analyzed.
  • Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessed left ventricular (LV) mass, volumes, ejection fraction, and wall thickness.
  • Associations between cystatin C and cardiac parameters were evaluated using multivariable regression.

Main Results:

  • Higher cystatin C levels correlated with increased LV mass, concentricity, and LV wall thickness.
  • These associations remained significant after adjusting for traditional risk factors and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
  • The findings were consistent regardless of the eGFR calculation method used (MDRD or Cockcroft-Gault).

Conclusions:

  • Elevated cystatin C is associated with increased LV mass and a concentric LV hypertrophy phenotype.
  • These associations are independent of standard renal function measures.
  • Cystatin C may serve as a valuable tool for identifying individuals with early, preclinical structural heart disease.
Abstract

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