@article {6064, title = {Plasma free fatty acids and risk of heart failure: the Cardiovascular Health Study.}, journal = {Circ Heart Fail}, volume = {6}, year = {2013}, month = {2013 Sep 01}, pages = {964-9}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Although plasma free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations have been associated with lipotoxicity, apoptosis, and risk of diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease, it is unclear whether FFA levels are associated with heart failure (HF).

METHODS AND RESULTS: To test the hypothesis that plasma concentration of FFAs is positively associated with incident HF, we prospectively analyzed data on 4248 men and women free of HF at baseline and >65 years old from the Cardiovascular Health Study. FFA concentration was measured in duplicate by the Wako enzymatic method. Incident HF was validated by a centralized Events Committee. We used Cox proportional hazards to estimate the hazard ratio of HF per SD of FFAs. During a median follow-up of 10.5 years, a total of 1286 new cases of HF occurred. In a multivariable model adjusting for clinic site, comorbidity, demographic, anthropometric, and lifestyle factors, each SD (0.2 mEq/L) higher plasma FFA was associated with 12\% (95\% confidence interval, 6\%-19\%) higher risk of HF. Controlling for time-varying diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease did not change the results (hazard ratio per SD, 1.16 [95\% confidence interval, 1.09-1.23]).

CONCLUSIONS: A single measure of plasma FFA obtained later in life is associated with a higher risk of HF in older adults. Additional studies are needed to explore biological mechanisms by which FFAs may influence the risk of HF and determine whether FFAs could serve as a novel pharmacological target for HF prevention.

}, keywords = {Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Biomarkers, Comorbidity, Fatty Acids, Nonesterified, Female, Heart Failure, Humans, Incidence, Kaplan-Meier Estimate, Linear Models, Male, Multivariate Analysis, Prognosis, Proportional Hazards Models, Prospective Studies, Risk Factors, Time Factors, United States}, issn = {1941-3297}, doi = {10.1161/CIRCHEARTFAILURE.113.000521}, author = {Djouss{\'e}, Luc and Benkeser, David and Arnold, Alice and Kizer, Jorge R and Zieman, Susan J and Lemaitre, Rozenn N and Tracy, Russell P and Gottdiener, John S and Mozaffarian, Dariush and Siscovick, David S and Mukamal, Kenneth J and Ix, Joachim H} } @article {6576, title = {Advanced glycation/glycoxidation endproduct carboxymethyl-lysine and incidence of coronary heart disease and stroke in older adults.}, journal = {Atherosclerosis}, volume = {235}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jul}, pages = {116-21}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND: Advanced glycation/glycoxidation endproducts (AGEs) accumulate in settings of increased oxidative stress--such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease and aging--where they promote vascular stiffness and atherogenesis, but the prospective association between AGEs and cardiovascular events in elders has not been previously examined.

METHODS: To test the hypothesis that circulating levels of N(ɛ)-carboxymethyl-lysine (CML), a major AGE, increase the risk of incident coronary heart disease and stroke in older adults, we measured serum CML by immunoassay in 2111 individuals free of prevalent cardiovascular disease participating in a population-based study of U.S. adults ages 65 and older.

RESULTS: During median follow-up of 9.1 years, 625 cardiovascular events occurred. CML was positively associated with incident cardiovascular events after adjustment for age, sex, race, systolic blood pressure, anti-hypertensive treatment, diabetes, smoking status, triglycerides, albumin, and self-reported health status (hazard ratio [HR] per SD [0.99 pmol/l] increase=1.11, 95\% confidence interval [CI]=1.03-1.19). This association was not materially attenuated by additional adjustment for C-reactive protein, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and urine albumin/creatinine ratio. Findings were similar for the component endpoints of coronary heart disease and stroke.

CONCLUSIONS: In this large older cohort, CML was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events independent of a wide array of potential confounders and mediators. Although the moderate association limits CML{\textquoteright}s value for risk prediction, these community-based findings provide support for clinical trials to test AGE-lowering therapies for cardiovascular prevention in this population.

}, keywords = {Aged, Albumins, Antihypertensive Agents, Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cohort Studies, Coronary Disease, Creatinine, Female, Glomerular Filtration Rate, Glycation End Products, Advanced, Humans, Immunoassay, Incidence, Lysine, Male, Oxidative Stress, Proportional Hazards Models, Stroke, Treatment Outcome}, issn = {1879-1484}, doi = {10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2014.04.013}, author = {Kizer, Jorge R and Benkeser, David and Arnold, Alice M and Ix, Joachim H and Mukamal, Kenneth J and Djouss{\'e}, Luc and Tracy, Russell P and Siscovick, David S and Psaty, Bruce M and Zieman, Susan J} } @article {6137, title = {Relations of plasma total and high-molecular-weight adiponectin to new-onset heart failure in adults >=65 years of age (from the Cardiovascular Health study).}, journal = {Am J Cardiol}, volume = {113}, year = {2014}, month = {2014 Jan 15}, pages = {328-34}, abstract = {

Adiponectin exhibits cardioprotective properties in experimental studies, but elevated levels have been linked to increased mortality in older adults and patients with chronic heart failure (HF). The adipokine{\textquoteright}s association with new-onset HF remains less well defined. The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of total and high-molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin with incident HF (n = 780) and, in a subset, echocardiographic parameters in a community-based cohort of adults aged >=65 years. Total and HMW adiponectin were measured in 3,228 subjects without prevalent HF, atrial fibrillation or CVD. The relations of total and HMW adiponectin with HF were nonlinear, with significant associations observed only for concentrations greater than the median (12.4 and 6.2 mg/L, respectively). After adjustment for potential confounders, the hazard ratios per SD increment in total adiponectin were 0.93 (95\% confidence interval 0.72 to 1.21) for concentrations less than the median and 1.25 (95\% confidence interval 1.14 to 1.38) higher than the median. There was a suggestion of effect modification by body mass index, whereby the association appeared strongest in participants with lower body mass indexes. Consistent with the HF findings, higher adiponectin tended to be associated with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and left atrial enlargement. Results were similar for HMW adiponectin. In conclusion, total and HMW adiponectin showed comparable relations with incident HF in this older cohort, with a threshold effect of increasing risk occurring at their median concentrations. High levels of adiponectin may mark or mediate age-related processes that lead to HF in older adults.

}, keywords = {Adiponectin, Age of Onset, Aged, Biomarkers, Cross-Sectional Studies, Echocardiography, Doppler, Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Heart Failure, Humans, Incidence, Male, Prognosis, Prospective Studies, Recurrence, Severity of Illness Index, United States, Ventricular Function, Left}, issn = {1879-1913}, doi = {10.1016/j.amjcard.2013.09.027}, author = {Karas, Maria G and Benkeser, David and Arnold, Alice M and Bartz, Traci M and Djouss{\'e}, Luc and Mukamal, Kenneth J and Ix, Joachim H and Zieman, Susan J and Siscovick, David S and Tracy, Russell P and Mantzoros, Christos S and Gottdiener, John S and deFilippi, Christopher R and Kizer, Jorge R} }