Abstract 11928: Galectin-3 is Associated With Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Asymptomatic Individuals in the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities (ARIC) Study

Abstract

Introduction: Although galectin-3, an indicator of myocardial fibrosis, provides prognostic value in patients with established heart failure, its prognostic significance in a diverse, asymptomatic population is largely uncharacterized. Objectives: We measured plasma galectin-3 in 9255 individuals free of cardiovascular disease at baseline (visit 4, 1996-1998) and evaluated prospective associations with incident coronary heart disease (CHD), heart failure (HF) hospitalization, ischemic stroke, or total mortality in the biracial Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Methods: Outcome incident rates were expressed as number of events per 1,000 patient years. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals for the association of quartiles of galectin-3 with each outcome. The models were adjusted for age, gender, race, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, SBP, anti-hypertensive medication, current smoking, diabetes status, estimated GFR, and log NT-proBNP. Interactions for race and sex were ascertained by adding a cross-product of race or sex and galectin-3 in the model. Results: In the adjusted model, increasing quartiles of galectin-3 were independently associated with incident CHD, HF, and mortality ( Table ), with the highest HR for HF. The relationship was not significantly modified by gender or race, except for CHD where galectin-3 was associated with increased risk in whites but not blacks (interaction p=0.04). Galectin-3 quartiles were not associated with incident stroke in adjusted analysis. Conclusion: In a large, bi-racial cohort of individuals free of CVD at baseline, galectin-3 is associated with increased risk of incident CHD, HF, and death. These data implicate myocardial fibrosis in the development of CVD in a community-based population of black and white adults.