Plasma amyloid-β40 in relation to subclinical atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease: A population-based study

We aimed to determine associations of plasma amyloid-β40 (Aβ40) with subclinical atherosclerosis and risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) in the general population.

Between 2002 and 2005, plasma Aβ40 was measured by single molecule array (SiMoA®) in 3879 participants of the population-based Rotterdam Study (mean age: 71 years, 61% female). Subclinical atherosclerosis was quantified as computed tomography-assessed calcification volumes. We determined the association of Aβ40 with calcification volumes and clinical ASCVD event risk, and repeated the analyses for ASCVD in a replication cohort of 1467 individuals.

Higher levels of Aβ40 were associated with increased volumes of calcification in the coronary arteries and to a lesser extent extracranial carotid arteries, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Of all 3879 participants, 748 developed ASCVD during a median 9.7 years of follow-up. In age- and sex-adjusted models, higher Aβ40 predisposed to a minor increase in ASCVD risk (HR [95%CI]: 1.11[1.02-1.21] per 1-SD increase in Aβ40), driven by coronary heart disease (HR: 1.17[1.05-1.29]) rather than stroke (HR: 1.04[0.93-1.16]). However, excess risk of clinical outcomes was largely explained by baseline differences in cardiovascular risk factors and attenuated after further adjustment (for ASCVD- HR: 1.05[0.96-1.15] and for CHD- HR: 1.08[0.96-1.20]). Results were similar in the replication cohort, with highest risk estimates for CHD (HR: 1.24[1.04-1.48]) in age- and sex-adjusted models, attenuated after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors (HR: 1.15[0.96-1.39]).

In this population-based study, higher plasma amyloid-β40 is associated with subclinical atherosclerosis, but not risk of first-ever ASCVD after accounting for traditional cardiovascular risk factors.