Previous studies have reported conflicting information about the utility of novel biomarkers in accurately assessing cardiovascular risk. According to a new study published in the July 1, 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, novel biomarkers provide very modest gains over conventional risk factors for predicting future cardiovascular events.

Scientists from Harvard Medical School and their colleagues studied a group of 5607 Swedish men and women with an average age of 58 years who did not have cardiovascular disease. The study participants underwent measurements of various biomarkers, including C-reactive protein, cystatin C, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase 2, midregional proadenomedullin, midregional proatrial natriuretic peptide, and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide. They were followed for an average of 12.8 years to determine the incidence of cardiovascular and coronary events.

The study participants were classified for cardiovascular risk according to both conventional risk factors and novel biomarkers. Only 5-8% of the participants required reclassification using the newer biomarkers. And, overall, reclassification of cardiovascular risk according to novel biomarkers did not significantly improve prediction of future cardiovascular events. However, among intermediate-risk individuals, risk classification with biomarkers seemed to improve identification of those who were unlikely to develop cardiovascular events.

This study suggests that testing for novel biomarkers does not yet provide much additional clinical information as compared to the use of conventional risk factors alone to predict cardiovascular events.

Source:

JAMA. 2009;302(1):49-57.