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Published on: November 30, 2018
Plasma Amyloid-β in Relation to Cardiac Function and Risk of Heart Failure in General Population
Fang Zhu1, Frank J Wolters2, Amber Yaqub1
1Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Insights
Higher levels of plasma amyloid-beta 40 (Aβ40) are linked to poorer cardiac function and increased heart failure (HF) risk in the general population, especially in men. This highlights Aβ40 as a potential biomarker for cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Neurology
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptides are implicated in various physiological processes, but their direct association with cardiac function and heart failure (HF) risk in the general population remains under-investigated.
- Limited data exist on the relationship between plasma Aβ levels and echocardiographic measures of cardiac dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between plasma amyloid-beta 40 (Aβ40) and amyloid-beta 42 (Aβ42) levels with cardiac dysfunction.
- To determine the association of plasma Aβ levels with the risk of incident heart failure (HF) in a general population cohort.
Main Methods:
- The Rotterdam Study cohort, including 4,156 participants without baseline HF or dementia, was utilized.
- Plasma Aβ levels were measured, and associations with echocardiographic parameters were assessed using multivariable linear regression.
- Incident HF risk was evaluated using Cox proportional hazards models, with follow-up extending to December 2016.
Main Results:
- Increased plasma Aβ40 levels correlated with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and increased left ventricular mass.
- A per 1-SD increase in Aβ40 was associated with a 32% higher risk of incident HF, particularly significant in men.
- While higher Aβ42 showed an initial association with HF risk, it was attenuated after adjusting for Aβ40.
Conclusions:
- Elevated plasma Aβ40 levels are associated with impaired cardiac function and an increased risk of developing heart failure in the general population.
- The findings suggest Aβ40 may serve as a predictive biomarker for HF, with a notable sex-specific association observed in men.
Background:
Amyloid-β (Aβ) may be related to cardiac function. However, there are limited data on the association of plasma Aβ with cardiac function and risk of heart failure (HF) in the general population.
Objectives:
This study sought to determine the associations of plasma amyloid-β40 (Aβ40) and amyloid-β42 (Aβ42) with echocardiographic measurements of cardiac dysfunction and with incident HF in the general population.
Methods:
The study included 4,156 participants of the population-based Rotterdam Study (mean age: 71.4 years; 57.1% women), who had plasma Aβ samples collected between 2002 and 2005 and had no established dementia and HF at baseline. Multivariable linear regression models were used to explore the cross-sectional association of plasma Aβ with echocardiographic measures. Participants were followed up until December 2016. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association of Aβ levels with incident HF. Models were adjusted for cardiovascular risk factors.
Results:
A per 1-SD increase in log-transformed plasma Aβ40 was associated with a 0.39% (95% CI: -0.68 to -0.10) lower left ventricular ejection fraction and a 0.70 g/m2 (95% CI: 0.06-1.34) larger left ventricular mass indexed by body surface area. Aβ42 was not significantly associated with echocardiographic measures cross-sectionally. During follow-up (median: 10.2 years), 472 incident HF cases were identified. A per 1-SD increase in log-transformed Aβ40 was associated with a 32% greater risk of HF (HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.15-1.51), and the association was significant in men, but not in women. Higher plasma Aβ42 levels were associated with an increased risk of HF (HR: 1.12; 95% CI: 1.02-1.24), although the association was attenuated after further adjustment for concomitant Aβ40 (HR: 1.03; 95% CI: 0.92-1.16).
Conclusions:
Higher levels of Aβ40 were associated with worse cardiac function and higher risk of new onset HF in the general population, in particular among men.
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