Logo: to the web site of Uppsala University

BACKGROUND In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) the risk of ischemic stroke is central to recommendations for stroke-prevention treatment. OBJECTIVES The authors evaluated the biomarker-based Age, Biomarkers, Clinical history (ABC)-AF-stroke risk score and developed a modified ABC-AF-istroke risk score for prediction of respectively total and ischemic stroke in patients with AF.

METHODS In 26,452 patients with AF assigned to direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) or warfarin, information on age, clinical history of stroke, and levels of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide and troponin were used for calculation of the ABC-AF-stroke score and the modified ABC-AF-istroke score.

RESULTS During follow-up, there were 756 cases with stroke or systemic embolism (SEE) including 534 with ischemic stroke/SEE. The discrimination of total stroke/SEE was superior for the ABC-AF-stroke score, C-index (0.667 [95% CI: 0.648-0.687]), compared with 0.632 (95% CI: 0.612-0.652) for the ATRIA (Anticoagulation and Risk Factors in Atrial Fibrillation) and 0.614(95% CI: 0.594-0.633) for the CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score (P < 0.001 for both). The results were similar for ischemic stroke/SEE with C-index for ABC-AF-istroke 0.677 (95% CI: 0.654-0.700) compared with 0.642 (95% CI: 0.618-0.666) for the ATRIA and 0.624 (95% CI: 0.601-0.647) for the CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score (P < 0.001 for both). The ABC-AF-stroke scores showed good calibration for total and ischemic stroke. Results were consistent in relevant subgroups. Decision curve analyses showed a net benefit concerning stroke-prevention decision thresholds.

CONCLUSIONS The biomarker-based ABC-AF risk scores for the risk of total and ischemic stroke were well calibrated, showed better discrimination than clinical risk scores in predicting total and ischemic stroke, and provided meaningful decision support for stroke-prevention treatments in patients with AF. (c) 2025 Published by Elsevier on behalf of the American College of Cardiology Foundation.

Background and Aims: Acquired somatic mutations emerged as important drivers of adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes. Recently, mosaic loss of Y chromosome (LOY) in haematopoietic cells was identified to induce diffuse cardiac fibrosis in male mice. The aim of the present study was to determine the association between LOY and cardiovascular mortality in patients undergoing coronary angiography.

Methods: LOY was quantified in 1698 male participants of the LURIC study, who underwent coronary angiography, and its association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality was determined. Furthermore, the interaction between LOY and inherited genetic susceptibility for cardiac fibrosis was assessed.

Results: The frequency of LOY steeply increased in male participants of LURIC at the age of 60 years. Loss of Y chromosome > 17% was associated with significantly higher all-cause [hazard ratio (HR) 1.41, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.09-1.82] and cardiovascular mortality (HR 1.49, 95% CI 1.09-2.03), which was driven by a higher risk for fatal myocardial infarction (HR 2.65, 95% CI 1.46-4.81). Loss of Y chromosome > 17% was associated with a profibrotic and proinflammatory plasma protein expression profile as characterized by higher plasma levels of osteoprotegerin, matrix metalloproteinase-12, growth differentiation factor 15, heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor, and resistin. Genetic predisposition for lower myocardial fibrosis attenuated the association between LOY and cardiovascular mortality. Genome-wide methylation analyses identified differential methylation in 298 genes including ACTB, RPS5, WDR1, CD151, and ARAP1. Single-cell RNA sequencing further confirmed differential gene expression of 37 of these genes in LOY in peripheral blood mononuclear cells comprising a set of fibrosis-regulating genes including RPS5. RPS5 silencing in macrophages induced a paracrine induction of collagen expression in cardiac fibroblasts documenting a functional role in vitro.

Conclusions: LOY represents an important independent risk factor for cardiovascular mortality in male patients with coronary artery disease. Targeting LOY may represent a sex-specific personalized medicine approach.

Background

Cardiac biomarkers improve risk prediction in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We recently demonstrated that the NFL (neuron‐specific protein neurofilament light chain) was associated with ischemic stroke in patients with AF not receiving oral anticoagulation. The association of other neuroglial biomarkers reflecting brain injury (ie, GFAP [glial fibrillary acidic protein], total tau [tau], and UCHL1 [ubiquitin carboxy‐terminal hydrolase L1]) with the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular outcomes in AF is unknown.

Methods and Results

Baseline plasma samples were available from 967 patients with AF not receiving oral anticoagulation treatment. Concentrations of NFL, GFAP, tau, and UCHL1 were determined with a Single Molecule Array kit (Simoa). Associations between baseline biomarker level, clinical characteristics, and outcomes (ischemic stroke, hospitalization for heart failure, and all‐cause death) were analyzed with multivariable Cox regression adjusted for clinical characteristics and other biomarkers. Higher levels of all 4 neuroglial biomarkers were correlated with increasing age and female sex. During a median follow‐up of 3.6 years, NFL was associated with increased risk of ischemic stroke (for a doubling in NFL, hazard ratio [HR], 1.27 [95% CI, 1.03–1.56]) and death (HR, 1.46 [95% CI, 1.25–1.70]). In adjusted analyses, GFAP, tau, and UCHL1were not associated with stroke or death. NFL, tau, and UCHL1 were significantly associated with hospitalization for heart failure.

Conclusions

In patients with AF not receiving oral anticoagulation, NFL was the only neuroglial biomarker significantly and independently associated with the risk of ischemic stroke and death. Further studies evaluating NFL for stroke risk assessment in patients with AF and the impact of contemporary oral anticoagulation treatment are warranted.

AIM: To investigate associations between psychosocial burden and biomarkers reflecting pathophysiological pathways in patients with chronic coronary syndrome.

METHODS: Psychosocial (PS) factors were collected from self-assessed questionnaires and biomarkers representing inflammation (high-sensitivity [hs]-C-reactive protein [CRP], interleukin-6 [IL-6], lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 [Lp-PLA2]) and cardiac injury/stress (hs-troponin T [hs-TnT], N-terminal pro-B type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]) were measured in 12,492 patients with chronic coronary syndrome in the STABILITY trial. Associations between level of each psychosocial factor (never-rarely (reference), sometimes, often-always) and biomarkers were evaluated using linear models with adjusted geometric mean ratios (GMR). A score comprising four factors ('feeling down', 'loss of interest', financial stress', 'living alone') that previously demonstrated association with cardiovascular (CV) outcome was created, and categorized into three levels: low, moderate and high PS burden. Associations between PS score and biomarkers were evaluated similarly.

RESULTS: Greater PS burden was significantly associated with a gradual increase in inflammatory biomarkers (GMR [95% CI] for moderate vs low PS burden; and high vs low PS burden): hs-CRP (1.09 [1.04-1.14]; 1.12 [1.06-1.17]), IL-6 (1.05 [1.02-1.07]; 1.08 [1.05-1.11]), LpPLA2 (1.01 [1.00 - 1.02]; 1.02 [1.01-1.04]) and cardiac biomarkers hs-TnT (1.03 [1.01-1.06]; 1.06 [1.03-1.09]) and NT-proBNP (1.09 [1.04-1.13]; 1.21 [1.15-1.27]).

CONCLUSIONS: In patients with chronic coronary syndrome, greater psychosocial burden was associated with increased levels of inflammatory and cardiac biomarkers. While this observational study does not establish causal nature of these associations, the findings suggest inflammation and cardiac injury/stress as plausible pathways linking psychosocial burden to an elevated CV risk, that needs to be further explored.

Cardiometabolic co-morbidities, diabetes (DM), hypertension (HTN), and obesity contribute to cardiovascular disease. Circulating biomarkers facilitate prognostication for patients with cardiovascular disease. We explored the relation between cardiometabolic co-morbidity burden in patients with chronic coronary disease and biomarkers of myocardial stretch, injury, inflammation, and platelet activity. We analyzed participants from the International Study of Comparative Health Effectiveness with Medical and Invasive Approaches (ISCHEMIA) trials biorepository with plasma biomarkers (N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide, high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, soluble CD40 ligand, and growth differentiation factor-15) and clinical risk factors (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c], systolic blood pressure [SBP], and body mass index [BMI]) at baseline. We defined cardiometabolic co-morbidities as DM, HTN, and obesity at baseline. Co-morbidity burden is characterized by the number and severity of co-morbidities. Controlled co-morbidities were defined as HbA1c <7% for those with DM, SBP <130 mm Hg for those with HTN, and BMI <30 kg/m². Severely uncontrolled was defined as HbA1c ≥ 8%, SBP ≥ 160 mm Hg, and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m². We performed linear regression analyses to examine the association between co-morbidity burden and log-transformed biomarker levels, adjusting for age, gender, estimated glomerular filtration rate controlled for hemodialysis, and left ventricular ejection fraction. A total of 752 participants (mean age 66 years, 19% women, 84% White) were included in this analysis. Self-reported Black race, current smokers, history of myocardial infarction, and heart failure had a greater cardiometabolic co-morbidity burden. The presence of ≥ 1 severely uncontrolled co-morbidity was associated with significantly higher baseline levels of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, and growth differentiation factor-15 than participants with no co-morbidities. In conclusion, increasing cardiometabolic co-morbidity burden in patients with chronic coronary disease is associated with higher levels of circulating biomarkers of myocardial injury and inflammation.

Aims The European Unified Registries On Heart Care Evaluation and Randomized Trials (EuroHeart) aims to improve the quality of care and clinical outcomes for patients with cardiovascular disease. The collaboration of acute coronary syndrome/percutaneous coronary intervention (ACS/PCI) registries is operational in seven vanguard European Society of Cardiology member countries.Methods and results Adults admitted to hospitals with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) are included, and individual patient-level data collected and aligned according to the internationally agreed EuroHeart data standards for ACS/PCI. The registries provide up to 155 variables spanning patient demographics and clinical characteristics, in-hospital care, in-hospital outcomes, and discharge medications. After performing statistical analyses on patient data, participating countries transfer aggregated data to EuroHeart for international reporting. Between 1st January 2022 and 31st December 2022, 40 021 admissions (STEMI 46.7%, NSTEMI 53.3%) were recorded from 192 hospitals in the seven vanguard countries: Estonia, Hungary, Iceland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, and Sweden. The mean age for the cohort was 67.9 (standard deviation 12.6) years, and it included 12 628 (31.6%) women.Conclusion The EuroHeart collaboration of ACS/PCI registries prospectively collects and analyses individual data for ACS and PCI at a national level, after which aggregated results are transferred to the EuroHeart Data Science Centre. The collaboration will expand to other countries and provide continuous insights into the provision of clinical care and outcomes for patients with ACS and undergoing PCI. It will serve as a unique international platform for quality improvement, observational research, and registry-based clinical trials.

Background and Aims

Standardized definitions for outcome measures in randomized clinical trials and observational studies are essential for robust and valid evaluation of medical products, interventions, care, and outcomes. The European Unified Registries for Heart Care Evaluation and Randomised Trials (EuroHeart) project of the European Society of Cardiology aimed to create international data standards for cardiovascular clinical study outcome measures.

Methods

The EuroHeart methods for data standard development were used. From a Global Cardiovascular Outcomes Consortium of 82 experts, five Working Groups were formed to identify and define key outcome measures for: cardiovascular disease (generic outcomes), acute coronary syndrome and percutaneous coronary intervention (ACS/PCI), atrial fibrillation (AF), heart failure (HF) and transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). A systematic review of the literature informed a modified Delphi method to reach consensus on a final set of variables. For each variable, the Working Group provided a definition and categorized the variable as mandatory (Level 1) or optional (Level 2) based on its clinical importance and feasibility.

Results

Across the five domains, 24 Level 1 (generic: 5, ACS/PCI: 8, AF: 2; HF: 5, TAVI: 4) and 48 Level 2 (generic: 18, ACS-PCI: 7, AF: 6, HF: 2, TAVI: 15) outcome measures were defined.

Conclusions

Internationally derived and endorsed definitions for outcome measures for a range of common cardiovascular diseases and interventions are presented. These may be used for data alignment to enable high-quality observational and randomized clinical research, audit, and quality improvement for patient benefit.

Background:<bold> </bold>The efficacy and safety of non-vitamin-K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) across the spectrum of body mass index (BMI) and body weight (BW) remain uncertain. Methods: We analyzed data from COMBINE AF (A Collaboration Between Multiple Institutions to Better Investigate Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Use in Atrial Fibrillation), which pooled patient-level data from the 4 pivotal randomized trials of NOAC versus warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation. The primary efficacy and safety outcomes were stroke or systemic embolic events (stroke/SEE) and major bleeding, respectively; secondary outcomes were ischemic stroke/SEE, intracranial hemorrhage, death, and the net clinical outcome (stroke/SEE, major bleeding, or death). Each outcome was examined across BMI and BW. Because few patients had a BMI <18.5 kg/m(2) (n=598), the primary analyses were restricted to those with a BMI >= 18.5 kg/m(2). Results: Among 58 464 patients, the median BMI was 28.3 (interquartile range, 25.2-32.2) kg/m(2), and the median BW was 81.0 (interquartile range, 70.0-94.3) kg. The event probability of stroke/SEE was lower at a higher BMI irrespective of treatment, whereas the probability of major bleeding was lower at a higher BMI with warfarin but relatively unchanged across BMI with NOACs. NOACs reduced stroke/SEE overall (adjusted hazard ratio [HRadj], 0.80 [95% CI, 0.73-0.88]; P<0.001), with a generally consistent effect across BMI (P-trend across HRs, 0.48). NOACs also reduced major bleeding overall (HRadj, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.82-0.94]; P<0.001), but with attenuation of the benefit at a higher BMI (trend test across BMI [P-trend], 0.003). The overall treatment effects of NOACs versus warfarin for secondary outcomes were consistent across BMI, with the exception of the net clinical outcome and death. While these outcomes were overall reduced with NOACs (net clinical outcome, HRadj, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.87-0.95]; P<0.001; death, HRadj, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.86-0.97]; P=0.003), these benefits were attenuated at higher BMI (P-trend, 0.001 and 0.08, respectively). All findings were qualitatively similar when analyzed across BW. Conclusions: The treatment effect of NOACs versus warfarin in atrial fibrillation is generally consistent for stroke/SEE across the spectrum of BMI and BW, whereas the reduction in major bleeding is attenuated in those with higher BMI or BW. Death and the net clinical outcome are overall reduced with NOACs over warfarin, although there remain uncertainties for these outcomes at a very high BMI and BW.

BACKGROUND: Heart failure (HF) is common among patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), and accurate risk assessment is clinically important.

OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to investigate the incremental prognostic performance of N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT), and growth differentiation factor (GDF)-15 for HF risk stratification in patients with AF.

METHODS: Individual patient data from 3 large randomized trials comparing direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) with warfarin (ARISTOTLE [Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation], ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 [Effective Anticoagulation With Factor Xa Next Generation in Atrial Fibrillation-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 48], and RE-LY [Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy]) from the COMBINE-AF (A Collaboration Between Multiple Institutions to Better Investigate Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulant Use in Atrial Fibrillation) cohort were pooled; all patients with available biomarkers at baseline were included. The composite endpoint was hospitalization for HF (HHF) or cardiovascular death (CVD), and secondary endpoints were HHF and HF-related death. Cox regression was used, adjusting for clinical factors, and interbiomarker correlation was addressed using weighted quantile sum regression analysis.

RESULTS: In 32,041 patients, higher biomarker values were associated with a graded increase in absolute risk for CVD/HHF, HHF, and HF-related death. Adjusting for clinical variables and all biomarkers, NT-proBNP (HR per 1 SD: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.59-1.77), hs-cTnT (HR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.33-1.44), and GDF-15 (HR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.15-1.25) were significantly associated with CVD/HHF. The discrimination of the clinical model improved significantly upon addition of the biomarkers (c-index: 0.70 [95% CI: 0.69-0.71] to 0.77 [95% CI: 0.76-0.78]; likelihood ratio test, P < 0.001). Using weighted quantile sum regression analysis, the contribution to risk assessment was similar for NT-proBNP and hs-cTnT for CVD/HHF (38% and 41%, respectively); GDF-15 provided a statistically significant but lesser contribution to risk assessment. Results were similar for HHF and HF-related death, individually, and across key subgroups of patients based on a history of HF, AF pattern, and reduced or preserved left ventricular ejection fraction.

CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP, hs-cTnT, and GDF-15 contributed significantly and independently to the risk stratification for HF endpoints in patients with AF, with hs-cTnT being as important as NT-proBNP for HF risk stratification. Our findings support a possible future use of these biomarkers to distinguish patients with AF at low or high risk for HF.

BACKGROUND: Biomarkers reflecting brain injury are not routinely used in risk assessment of stroke in atrial fibrillation (AF). Neurofilament light chain (NFL) is a novel biomarker released into blood after cerebral insults. We investigated the association between plasma concentrations of NFL, other biomarkers, and risk of stroke and death in patients with AF not receiving oral anticoagulation.

METHODS: For this observational study, baseline plasma samples were available from 3077 patients with AF randomized to aspirin in ACTIVE A (Atrial Fibrillation Clopidogrel Trial With Irbesartan for Prevention of Vascular Events; 2003 to 2008) and AVERROES (Apixaban Versus Acetylsalicylic Acid [ASA] to Prevent Stroke in Atrial Fibrillation Patients Who Have Failed or Are Unsuitable for Vitamin K Antagonist Treatment; 2007 to 2009). Median follow-up was 1.5 years. NFL was analyzed with a Single Molecule Array (Simoa). Associations with outcomes (total stroke or systemic embolism, ischemic stroke, cardiovascular death, and all-cause death) were explored with Cox regression models.

RESULTS: In the combined cohort, the median NFL level was 16.9 ng/L (interquartile range, 11.1-26.5 ng/L), the median age was 71 years, 58% were men, and 13% had a history of previous stroke. NFL was associated with older age, higher creatinine, lower body mass index, previous stroke, female sex, and diabetes but not cardiac rhythm. Higher NFL was associated with a higher risk of stroke or systemic embolism (n=206) independently of clinical characteristics (hazard ratio, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.10-1.46] per doubling of NFL) and other biomarkers (hazard ratio, 1.18 [95% CI, 1.01-1.37]) and including in patients without previous stroke (hazard ratio, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.02-1.48]). NFL was also independently associated with cardiovascular (n=219) and all-cause (n=311) death. The C index for stroke using only NFL was 0.642, on par with the currently used clinical risk scores. Addition of information on NFL improved discrimination in a model also including clinical information, NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide), and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T, yielding a C index of 0.727.

CONCLUSIONS: NFL reflects overt and covert episodes of cerebral ischemia and improves risk assessment of stroke and death in patients with AF without oral anticoagulation, including in patients without previous stroke. The combination of NFL with information on age, history of stroke, and other biomarkers should be explored as a future avenue for stroke risk assessments in patients with AF.