Elevated circulating FABP4 concentration predicts cardiovascular death in a general population: a 12-year prospective...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Research
• Metabolic Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) is an adipokine linked to metabolic disorders and atherosclerosis.
• The causal relationship between circulating FABP4 levels and mortality in the general population remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between baseline FABP4 concentration and all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality.
• To determine if FABP4 is an independent predictor of mortality in a population-based cohort.

Main Methods:

• A 12-year follow-up study of 721 participants from the Tanno-Sobetsu Study.
• Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used.
• Participants were stratified into tertiles based on baseline FABP4 levels, adjusted for various risk factors.

Main Results:

• Higher FABP4 levels were associated with increased rates of all-cause and cardiovascular death, but not cancer death.
• Multivariable analysis revealed a significant increase in cardiovascular death risk with higher FABP4 levels.
• The highest tertile of FABP4 showed a 4.96-fold increased risk of cardiovascular death compared to the lowest tertile.

Conclusions:

• Elevated circulating FABP4 concentration is a significant predictor of cardiovascular death in the general population.
• FABP4 may serve as a potential biomarker for cardiovascular risk assessment.