Biomarkers of Inflammation and Risk of Hospitalization for Heart Failure in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation

Alexander P Benz, Stefanie Aeschbacher, Philipp Krisai, Giorgio Moschovitis, Steffen Blum, Pascal Meyre, Manuel R Blum, Nicolas Rodondi, Marcello Di Valentino, Richard Kobza, Maria Luisa De Perna, Leo H Bonati, Jürg H Beer, Michael Kühne, Stefan Osswald, David Conen, BEAT‐AF, Swiss‐AF Investigators, Alexander P Benz, Stefanie Aeschbacher, Philipp Krisai, Giorgio Moschovitis, Steffen Blum, Pascal Meyre, Manuel R Blum, Nicolas Rodondi, Marcello Di Valentino, Richard Kobza, Maria Luisa De Perna, Leo H Bonati, Jürg H Beer, Michael Kühne, Stefan Osswald, David Conen, BEAT‐AF, Swiss‐AF Investigators

Abstract

Background Hospitalization for heart failure (HF) is very common in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that biomarkers of inflammation can identify patients with AF at increased risk of this important complication. Methods and Results Patients with established AF were prospectively enrolled. Levels of hs-CRP (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein) and interleukin-6 were measured from plasma samples obtained at baseline. We calculated an inflammation score ranging from 0 to 4 (1 point for each biomarker between the 50th and 75th percentile, 2 points for each biomarker above the 75th percentile). Individual associations of biomarkers and the inflammation score with HF hospitalization were obtained from multivariable Cox proportional hazards models. A total of 3784 patients with AF (median age 72 years, 24% prior HF) were followed for a median of 4.0 years. The median (interquartile range) plasma levels of hs-CRP and interleukin-6 were 1.64 (0.81-3.69) mg/L and 3.42 (2.14-5.60) pg/mL, respectively. The overall incidence of HF hospitalization was 3.04 per 100 person-years and increased from 1.34 to 7.31 per 100 person-years across inflammation score categories. After multivariable adjustment, both biomarkers were significantly associated with the risk of HF hospitalization (per increase in 1 SD, adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.22; 95% CI, 1.11-1.34 for log-transformed hs-CRP; adjusted HR, 1.48; 95% CI, 1.35-1.62 for log-transformed interleukin-6). Similar results were obtained for the inflammation score (highest versus lowest score, adjusted HR, 2.43; 95% CI, 1.80-3.30; P value for trend <0.001). Conclusions Biomarkers of inflammation strongly predicted HF hospitalization in a large, contemporary sample of patients with AF. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT02105844.

Keywords: C‐reactive protein; atrial fibrillation; heart failure; hospitalization; inflammation; interleukin‐6.

Conflict of interest statement

Kobza reports institutional grants from Abbott, Biosense‐Webster, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and Sis Medical. Bonati reports consultancy or advisory board fees or speaker’s honoraria from Amgen, Bayer, Bristol‐Myers Squibb, Claret Medical, and InnovHeart, and travel grants from AstraZeneca and Bayer. Beer reports institutional grants from the Swiss National Foundation of Science and The Swiss Heart Foundation. Kühne reports personal fees from Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer BMS, Daiichi Sankyo, Medtronic, Biotronik, Boston Scientific, and Johnson & Johnson; and grants from Bayer, Pfizer BMS, and Boston Scientific. Conen reports speaker honoraria from Servier Canada, outside of the current work. The remaining authors have no disclosures to report.

Figures

Figure 1. Cumulative incidence of heart failure…
Figure 1. Cumulative incidence of heart failure hospitalization across inflammation score categories (Kaplan‐Meier method).

References

    1. Chugh SS, Havmoeller R, Narayanan K, Singh D, Rienstra M, Benjamin EJ, Gillum RF, Kim Y‐H, McAnulty JH Jr, Zheng Z‐J, et al. Worldwide epidemiology of atrial fibrillation: a Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study. Circulation. 2014;129:837–847. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.005119.
    1. Krijthe BP, Kunst A, Benjamin EJ, Lip GY, Franco OH, Hofman A, Witteman JC, Stricker BH, Heeringa J. Projections on the number of individuals with atrial fibrillation in the European Union, from 2000 to 2060. Eur Heart J. 2013;34:2746–2751. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/eht280.
    1. Ruff CT, Giugliano RP, Braunwald E, Hoffman EB, Deenadayalu N, Ezekowitz MD, Camm AJ, Weitz JI, Lewis BS, Parkhomenko A, et al. Comparison of the efficacy and safety of new oral anticoagulants with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation: a meta‐analysis of randomised trials. Lancet. 2014;383:955–962. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62343-0.
    1. Healey JS, Oldgren J, Ezekowitz M, Zhu J, Pais P, Wang J, Commerford P, Jansky P, Avezum A, Sigamani A, et al. Occurrence of death and stroke in patients in 47 countries 1 year after presenting with atrial fibrillation: a cohort study. Lancet. 2016;388:1161–1169. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30968-0.
    1. Miyasaka Y, Barnes ME, Gersh BJ, Cha SS, Bailey KR, Abhayaratna W, Seward JB, Iwasaka T, Tsang TS. Incidence and mortality risk of congestive heart failure in atrial fibrillation patients: a community‐based study over two decades. Eur Heart J. 2006;27:936–941. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehi694.
    1. Marijon E, Le Heuzey J‐Y, Connolly S, Yang S, Pogue J, Brueckmann M, Eikelboom J, Themeles E, Ezekowitz M, Wallentin L, et al. Causes of death and influencing factors in patients with atrial fibrillation: a competing‐risk analysis from the randomized evaluation of long‐term anticoagulant therapy study. Circulation. 2013;128:2192–2201. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.000491.
    1. Kotecha D, Piccini JP. Atrial fibrillation in heart failure: what should we do? Eur Heart J. 2015;36:3250–3257. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehv513.
    1. Conen D, Chae CU, Glynn RJ, Tedrow UB, Everett BM, Buring JE, Albert CM. Risk of death and cardiovascular events in initially healthy women with new‐onset atrial fibrillation. JAMA. 2011;305:2080–2087. DOI: 10.1001/jama.2011.659.
    1. Kotecha D, Holmes J, Krum H, Altman DG, Manzano L, Cleland JG, Lip GY, Coats AJ, Andersson B, Kirchhof P, et al. Efficacy of beta blockers in patients with heart failure plus atrial fibrillation: an individual‐patient data meta‐analysis. Lancet. 2014;384:2235–2243. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61373-8.
    1. Marrouche NF, Brachmann J, Andresen D, Siebels J, Boersma L, Jordaens L, Merkely B, Pokushalov E, Sanders P, Proff J, et al. Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation with heart failure. N Engl J Med. 2018;378:417–427. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1707855.
    1. Sabatine MS, Morrow DA, Jablonski KA, Rice MM, Warnica JW, Domanski MJ, Hsia J, Gersh BJ, Rifai N, Ridker PM, et al. Prognostic significance of the Centers for Disease Control/American Heart Association high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein cut points for cardiovascular and other outcomes in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Circulation. 2007;115:1528–1536. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.649939.
    1. Ridker PM, MacFadyen JG, Glynn RJ, Bradwin G, Hasan AA, Rifai N. Comparison of interleukin‐6, C‐reactive protein, and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol as biomarkers of residual risk in contemporary practice: secondary analyses from the Cardiovascular Inflammation Reduction Trial. Eur Heart J. 2020;14:2952–2961. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehaa160.
    1. Ridker PM, Rifai N, Stampfer MJ, Hennekens CH. Plasma concentration of interleukin‐6 and the risk of future myocardial infarction among apparently healthy men. Circulation. 2000;101:1767–1772. DOI: 10.1161/01.CIR.101.15.1767.
    1. Ridker PM, Hennekens CH, Buring JE, Rifai N. C‐reactive protein and other markers of inflammation in the prediction of cardiovascular disease in women. N Engl J Med. 2000;342:836–843. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200003233421202.
    1. Everett BM, Cornel JH, Lainscak M, Anker SD, Abbate A, Thuren T, Libby P, Glynn RJ, Ridker PM. Anti‐inflammatory therapy with canakinumab for the prevention of hospitalization for heart failure. Circulation. 2019;139:1289–1299. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.038010.
    1. Conen D, Rodondi N, Mueller A, Beer J, Auricchio A, Ammann P, Hayoz D, Kobza R, Moschovitis G, Shah D, et al. Design of the Swiss Atrial Fibrillation Cohort Study (Swiss‐AF): structural brain damage and cognitive decline among patients with atrial fibrillation. Swiss Med Wkly. 2017;147:w14467. DOI: 10.4414/smw.2017.14467.
    1. Conen D, Rodondi N, Müller A, Beer JH, Ammann P, Moschovitis G, Auricchio A, Hayoz D, Kobza R, Shah D, et al. Relationships of overt and silent brain lesions with cognitive function in patients with atrial fibrillation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73:989–999. DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.12.039.
    1. Fine JP, Gray RJ. A proportional hazards model for the subdistribution of a competing risk. J Am Stat Assoc. 1999;94:496–509. DOI: 10.1080/01621459.1999.10474144.
    1. Ridker PM, Everett BM, Thuren T, MacFadyen JG, Chang WH, Ballantyne C, Fonseca F, Nicolau J, Koenig W, Anker SD, et al. Antiinflammatory therapy with canakinumab for atherosclerotic disease. N Engl J Med. 2017;377:1119–1131. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1707914.
    1. Tardif J‐C, Kouz S, Waters DD, Bertrand OF, Diaz R, Maggioni AP, Pinto FJ, Ibrahim R, Gamra H, Kiwan GS, et al. Efficacy and safety of low‐dose colchicine after myocardial infarction. N Engl J Med. 2019;381:2497–2505. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1912388.
    1. Nidorf SM, Fiolet ATL, Mosterd A, Eikelboom JW, Schut A, Opstal TSJ, The SHK, Xu X‐F, Ireland MA, Lenderink T, et al. Colchicine in patients with chronic coronary disease. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:1838–1847. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2021372.
    1. Yao C, Veleva T, Scott L Jr, Cao S, Li L, Chen G, Jeyabal P, Pan X, Alsina KM, Abu‐Taha I, et al. Enhanced cardiomyocyte NLRP3 inflammasome signaling promotes atrial fibrillation. Circulation. 2018;138:2227–2242. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.118.035202.
    1. Lazzerini PE, Laghi‐Pasini F, Acampa M, Srivastava U, Bertolozzi I, Giabbani B, Finizola F, Vanni F, Dokollari A, Natale M, et al. Systemic inflammation rapidly induces reversible atrial electrical remodeling: the role of interleukin‐6‐mediated changes in connexin expression. J Am Heart Assoc. 2019;8:e011006. DOI: 10.1161/JAHA.118.011006.
    1. Conen D, Ridker PM, Everett BM, Tedrow UB, Rose L, Cook NR, Buring JE, Albert CM. A multimarker approach to assess the influence of inflammation on the incidence of atrial fibrillation in women. Eur Heart J. 2010;31:1730–1736. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehq146.
    1. Chung MK, Martin DO, Sprecher D, Wazni O, Kanderian A, Carnes CA, Bauer JA, Tchou PJ, Niebauer MJ, Natale A, et al. C‐reactive protein elevation in patients with atrial arrhythmias: inflammatory mechanisms and persistence of atrial fibrillation. Circulation. 2001;104:2886–2891. DOI: 10.1161/hc4901.101760.
    1. Roldán V, Marín F, Díaz J, Gallego P, Jover E, Romera M, Manzano‐fernández S, Casas T, Valdés M, Vicente V, et al. High sensitivity cardiac troponin T and interleukin‐6 predict adverse cardiovascular events and mortality in anticoagulated patients with atrial fibrillation. J Thromb Haemost. 2012;10:1500–1507. DOI: 10.1111/j.1538-7836.2012.04812.x.
    1. Hermida J, Lopez FL, Montes R, Matsushita K, Astor BC, Alonso A. Usefulness of high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein to predict mortality in patients with atrial fibrillation (from the Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities [ARIC] Study). Am J Cardiol. 2012;109:95–99. DOI: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2011.08.010.
    1. Aulin J, Siegbahn A, Hijazi Z, Ezekowitz MD, Andersson U, Connolly SJ, Huber K, Reilly PA, Wallentin L, Oldgren J. Interleukin‐6 and C‐reactive protein and risk for death and cardiovascular events in patients with atrial fibrillation. Am Heart J. 2015;170:1151–1160. DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2015.09.018.
    1. Hijazi Z, Aulin J, Andersson U, Alexander JH, Gersh B, Granger CB, Hanna M, Horowitz J, Hylek EM, Lopes RD, et al. Biomarkers of inflammation and risk of cardiovascular events in anticoagulated patients with atrial fibrillation. Heart. 2016;102:508–517. DOI: 10.1136/heartjnl-2015-308887.

Source: PubMed

3
Suscribir