Search

BACKGROUND: The inflammatory biomarker interleukin-6 (IL-6) is associated with mortality in atrial fibrillation (AF). OBJECTIVE: To investigate if repeated IL-6 measurements improve the prognostication for stroke or systemic embolism, major bleeding, and mortality in anticoagulated patients with AF. METHODS: IL-6 levels by ELISA were measured at study entry and at 2 months in 4830 patients in the Apixaban for Reduction in Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation (ARISTOTLE) trial with 1.8 years median follow-up. In the Randomized Evaluation of Long-Term Anticoagulation Therapy (RE-LY) trial, IL-6 was measured at study entry, 3, 6, and 12 months in 2559 patients with 2.0 years median follow-up. Associations between a second IL-6 measurement and outcomes, adjusted for baseline IL-6, clinical variables, and other cardiovascular biomarkers, were analyzed by Cox regression. RESULTS: Median IL-6 levels were 2.0 ng/L (interquartile range [IQR] 1.30-3.20) and 2.10 ng/L (IQR 1.40-3.40) at the two time-points in ARISTOTLE, and, in RE-LY, 2.5 ng/L (IQR 1.6-4.3), 2.5 ng/L (IQR 1.6-4.2), 2.4 ng/L (IQR 1.6, 3.9), and 2.4 ng/L (IQR 1.5, 3.9), respectively. IL-6 was associated with mortality; hazard ratios per 50% higher IL-6 at 2 or 3 months, respectively, were 1.32 (95% confidence interval, 1.23-1.41; P

Objective Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a risk factor for stroke and mortality and the prothrombotic state has been linked to inflammation. In this study we evaluated the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers at baseline and future risk of cardiovascular events in the Apixaban for Reduction In Stroke and Other Thromboembolic Events in Atrial Fibrillation (ARISTOTLE) trial. Methods The ARISTOTLE trial randomised 18 201 patients with AF to apixaban or warfarin. Interleukin 6 (IL-6) and C reactive protein (CRP) were analysed in plasma obtained at randomisation from 14 954 participants, and median follow-up was 1.9 years. Association between quartile groups of IL-6 and CRP and outcomes were analysed by Cox regression adjusted for clinical risk factors and other cardiovascular biomarkers (NT-proBNP, troponin, GDF-15, cystatin C). Results The IL-6 median level was 2.3 ng/L (IQR 1.5–3.9), median CRP level was 2.2 mg/L (1.0–4.8). IL-6 and CRP were significantly associated with all-cause mortality independent of clinical risk factors and other biomarkers (HR (95% CI) 1.93 (1.57 to 2.37) and 1.49 (1.24 to 1.79), respectively, Q4 vs Q1). IL-6 was associated with myocardial infarction, cardiovascular mortality, and major bleeding beyond clinical risk factors but not in the presence of cardiovascular biomarkers (NT-proBNP, troponin, GDF-15, cystatin C). Neither inflammatory biomarker was associated with stroke/systemic embolism. Risk prediction for stroke, death and major bleeding was not improved by IL-6 or CRP when added to clinical risk factors and the other cardiovascular biomarkers (NT-proBNP, troponin, GDF-15, cystatin C). Conclusions In patients with AF on anticoagulation, after accounting for clinical risk factors and other biomarkers, biomarkers of inflammation were significantly associated with an increased risk of mortality. However, there were no associations with the risk of stroke or major bleeding. Trial registration number ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00412984 post-results.

ObjectiveWe investigated the association between obesity and biomarkers indicating cardiac or renal dysfunction or inflammation and their interaction with obesity and outcomes.MethodsA total of 14 753 patients in the Apixaban for Reduction In STroke and Other ThromboemboLic Events in Atrial Fibrillation (ARISTOTLE) trial provided plasma samples at randomisation to apixaban or warfarin. Median follow-up was 1.9 years. Body Mass Index (BMI) was measured at baseline and categorised as normal, 18.5–25 kg/m2; overweight, >25 to 2; and obese, ≥30 kg/m2. We analysed the biomarkers high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), troponin T and N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP). Outcomes included stroke/systemic embolism (SE), myocardial infarction (MI), composite (stroke/SE, MI, or all-cause mortality), all-cause and cardiac mortality, and major bleeding.ResultsCompared with normal BMI, obese patients had significantly higher levels of hs-CRP and IL-6 and lower levels of GDF-15, troponin T and NT-pro-BNP. In multivariable analyses, higher compared with normal BMI was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality (overweight: HR 0.73 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.86); obese: 0.67 (0.56 to 0.80), pConclusionsRegardless of biomarkers indicating inflammation or cardiac or renal dysfunction, obesity was independently associated with an improved survival in anticoagulated patients with AF.Trial registration numberNCT00412984.

Inflammation has been associated with cardiovascular disease and the burden of atrial fibrillation (AF). In this study we evaluate inflammatory biomarkers and future cardiovascular events in AF patients in the RE-LY study.Interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP) (n = 6,187), and fibrinogen (n = 4,893) were analyzed at randomization; outcomes were evaluated by Cox models and C-statistics.Adjusted for clinical risk factors IL-6 was independently associated with stroke or systemic embolism (P = .0041), major bleedings (P = .0001), vascular death (P.0001), and a composite thromboembolic outcome (ischemic stroke, systemic embolism, myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism and vascular death) (P.0001). CRP was independently related to myocardial infarction (P = .0047), vascular death (P = .0004), and the composite thromboembolic outcome (P = .0001). When further adjusted for cardiac (troponin and N-terminal fragment B-type natriuretic peptide [NT-proBNP]) and renal (cystatin-C) biomarkers on top of clinical risk factors IL-6 remained significantly related to vascular death (P.0001), major bleeding (P.0170) and the composite thromboembolic outcome (P.0001), and CRP to myocardial infarction (.0104). Fibrinogen was not associated with any outcome. C-index for stroke or systemic embolism increased from 0.615 to 0.642 (P = .0017) when adding IL-6 to the clinically used CHA2DS2-VASc risk score with net reclassification improvement of 28%.In patients with AF, IL-6 is related to higher risk of stroke and major bleeding, and both markers are related to higher risk of vascular death and the composite of thromboembolic events independent of clinical risk factors. Adjustment for cardiovascular biomarkers attenuated the prognostic value, although IL-6 remained related to mortality, the composite of thromboembolic events, and major bleeding, and CRP to myocardial infarction.