IgE predicts future nonfatal myocardial infarction in men
R D Langer1, M H Criqui, H S Feigelson
1Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, 92093-0607, USA.
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
|February 1, 1996
Summary
Elevated Immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels are a significant independent risk factor for nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) in men, but not for fatal events or in women. This finding suggests a novel link between allergy mediators and heart disease risk.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Established risk factors do not fully account for coronary heart disease (CHD) variability.
- Immunoglobulin E (IgE), an allergy mediator, influences platelets and arterial smooth muscle.
- Previous cross-sectional studies indicated a link between IgE and cardiovascular disease (CVD) in men.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate the association between IgE levels and cardiovascular outcomes.
- To determine if IgE is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease (CHD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, or mortality.
- To investigate potential sex differences in the IgE-CVD relationship.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving 278 men and 343 women.
- Mean follow-up period of 8.9 years.
- Analysis of baseline IgE levels in relation to incident coronary events, CVD, stroke, and all-cause mortality, adjusted for confounders.
Main Results:
- Elevated baseline IgE (> or = 200 kU/L) was associated with a significantly increased risk of nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) in men (Relative Risk [RR] = 6.46, p < 0.01).
- No significant association was found between IgE and coronary mortality in men (RR = 1.66, p < 0.66).
- No association between IgE and coronary disease, CVD, stroke, or all-cause mortality was observed in women, nor for fatal coronary events in men. The association in men was independent of smoking and other risk factors and unrelated to allergy status.
Conclusions:
- Elevated IgE is a strong, independent prospective risk factor for nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI) specifically in men.
- The findings suggest a potential role for IgE beyond allergic responses in cardiovascular pathophysiology.
- Sex-specific differences exist in the relationship between IgE and cardiovascular risk.
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