A novel monocyte-based biomarker of cardiovascular risk: comparison with QRISK3.

A preprint abstract from medrxiv.org discusses a study that investigated the utility of circulating monocyte-platelet aggregates (MPA) and CD14+/CD16+ monocytes in predicting early atherosclerosis in asymptomatic subjects. The study developed a novel index called the Monocyte Atherosclerotic Risk Score (MARS) and compared it to the traditional cardiovascular risk calculator, QRISK3. The results showed that MARS correlated more closely with carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) and was highly predictive of high cardiovascular risk and the presence of carotid plaque, while QRISK3 was not. The findings suggest that MARS may be superior to QRISK3 in identifying asymptomatic individuals who would benefit from targeted imaging investigations and prophylactic therapies. However, it is important to note that this preprint has not been peer-reviewed. [Extracted from the article]