The senescence-inducing factor IGFBP7 and risk of atrial fibrillation: findings from the PREVEND study

Experimental evidence supports the role of cellular senescence in the pathophysiology of atrial fibrillation (AF) and suggests that Insulin-like Growth Factor Binding Protein-7 (IGFBP7) is an important senescence-inducing factor. Whether elevated IGFBP7 levels precede the development of AF remains unknown. We measured IGFBP7 levels in plasma of 5884 adult participants without prevalent AF (mean age 53.6 ± 12.1 years; 51.5% women) from the PREVEND community-based cohort (2001-2004). Incident AF was ascertained from hospital and study electrocardiograms. During a median follow-up of 6.4 (5.9-6.9) years, 154 participants (2.6%) developed AF. In Cox proportional hazards models, IGFBP7 was associated with increased risk for incident AF (unadjusted hazard ratio [HR]: 1.85 per 1-SD increase in log-IGFBP7; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.65-2.07) which remained significant after adjustment for clinical variables (HR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.07-1.52). Based on these data, we conclude that IGFBP7, a senescence-inducing factor, is associated with the risk of developing AF in community-dwelling adults.