Beyond Cholesterol: Unraveling Residual Lipidomic Risk in Cardiovascular Health

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Biochemistry
• Proteomics

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading cause of mortality globally.
• Accurate risk stratification is crucial for effective primary and secondary prevention strategies.
• Traditional risk factors do not fully capture an individual's complete cardiovascular risk profile.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the utility of lipidomics in improving cardiovascular risk estimation.
• To assess the role of lipidomic signatures in primary and secondary CVD prevention.
• To evaluate the clinical applicability of lipidomic-based risk scores.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of studies employing lipidomics for cardiovascular risk assessment.
• Analysis of mass spectrometry-based lipidomic profiling in large cohort populations.
• Evaluation of lipidomic signatures for predicting clinical and subclinical coronary artery disease (CAD).

Main Results:

• Detailed lipidomic signatures enhance risk estimation for clinical and subclinical CAD.
• Lipidomic risk scores, particularly those based on ceramides and phospholipids, improve prediction of recurrent cardiovascular events and mortality in established atherosclerotic disease.
• Lipidomic profiles offer predictive value independent of traditional risk factors.
• Simplified ceramide-based scores show clinical utility, but implementation is limited by resources.

Conclusions:

• Lipidomics provides a powerful tool for refining cardiovascular risk assessment.
• Lipidomic-enhanced risk scores offer significant improvements over traditional methods.
• Further research and infrastructure development are needed for widespread clinical adoption of lipidomics in cardiovascular risk management.