Potential role of new molecular plasma signatures on cardiovascular risk stratification in asymptomatic individuals

Area of Science:

• Proteomics
• Cardiovascular Disease Research
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Current cardiovascular (CV) risk assessments like Framingham and SCORE primarily focus on older populations.
• The Lifetime Risk calculator (QRisk®) estimates CV risk over a lifetime, enabling earlier intervention.
• Identifying molecular profiles in younger individuals (30-50 years) for CV risk stratification is crucial for preventive measures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To discover new biomarkers for early CV disease using a proteomic strategy.
• To evaluate the relationship between these biomarkers and Lifetime Risk.
• To improve the selection of individuals aged 30-50 years susceptible to CV risk intervention.

Main Methods:

• Employed a multiple proteomic strategy on blood samples from 71 patients.
• Classified patients into three groups: healthy, with CV risk factors, and with prior CV events.
• Utilized a high-throughput quantitative proteomics approach for analysis.

Main Results:

• Defined three distinct proteomic signatures.
• Two signatures were associated with CV risk stratification.
• The third signature identified markers related to organ damage.

Conclusions:

• Proteomic signatures can aid in stratifying CV risk in individuals aged 30-50.
• These findings support the development of early therapeutic interventions for high-risk individuals.
• The identified markers may predict early CV disease and organ damage.