ARISTOTLE: Biomarkers Useful for Prediction of Specific Causes of Death in Atrial Fibrillation

Biomarkers were useful in predicting specific causes of death in patients with atrial fibrillation (AFib), according to results from a new study in Circulation.  Researchers for the ARISTOTLE study, looking specifically at high-sensitivity troponin-T, growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and interleukin-6 levels (IL-6), enrolled 18,201 patients with AFib to receive either apixaban or warfarin, and used Cox models to identify biomarkers and variables associated with specific causes of death.  

Results

According to their results, biomarkers were the strongest predictors of cause-specific death. More specifically, a doubling of troponin-T was linked with sudden death (P<0.001); NT-proBNP was linked with death from heart failure (P<0.001); and GDF-15 was linked with bleeding death (P=0.028). Prior stroke/systemic embolism and elevated troponin-T were strongly predictive of stroke/systemic embolism death.  

Source: Circulation