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Increased vascular endothelial growth factor D is associated with atrial fibrillation and ischaemic stroke

Berntsson, John LU ; Smith, J. Gustav LU orcid ; Johnson, Linda S.B. LU ; Söderholm, Martin LU ; Borné, Yan LU ; Melander, Olle LU orcid ; Orho-Melander, Marju LU ; Nilsson, Jan LU and Engström, Gunnar LU (2019) In Heart 105(7). p.553-558
Abstract

Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) has important functions in lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis. High plasma levels of VEGF-D have been associated with incidence of heart failure. The association of VEGF-D with atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke is unclear and we hypothesised that VEGF-D could also be associated with incidence of AF and ischaemic stroke. Methods: VEGF-D was measured in fasting blood samples of 4689 subjects (40% men) without a history of AF from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, a prospective, population-based study in Sweden. Median age was 58 years (range 46-68). Cox regression analyses, adjusted for multiple risk factors, was used to assess AF and ischaemic stroke risk in relation to VEGF-D... (More)

Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) has important functions in lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis. High plasma levels of VEGF-D have been associated with incidence of heart failure. The association of VEGF-D with atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke is unclear and we hypothesised that VEGF-D could also be associated with incidence of AF and ischaemic stroke. Methods: VEGF-D was measured in fasting blood samples of 4689 subjects (40% men) without a history of AF from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, a prospective, population-based study in Sweden. Median age was 58 years (range 46-68). Cox regression analyses, adjusted for multiple risk factors, was used to assess AF and ischaemic stroke risk in relation to VEGF-D levels. Results: During a median follow-up time of 20.6 years, there were 637 cases of incident AF and 322 cases of first ischaemic stroke. After adjustment, VEGF-D was significantly associated with AF (HR 1.13(95% CI 1.04 to 1.23) per 1 SD increase) and ischaemic stroke (HR 1.14(95% CI 1.02 to 1.28) per 1 SD). The association with ischaemic stroke was explained by an increased incidence of AF-related stroke. HRs per 1 SD were 1.34 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.71) for AF-related ischaemic stroke and 1.04 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.19) for ischaemic stroke without AF. Conclusions: Increased VEGF-D concentrations were associated with AF and ischaemic stroke. The relationship with ischaemic stroke was more pronounced in subjects with a diagnosis of AF.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
atrial fibrillation, epidemiology, stroke
in
Heart
volume
105
issue
7
pages
553 - 558
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • scopus:85055057443
  • pmid:30327392
ISSN
1355-6037
DOI
10.1136/heartjnl-2018-313684
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
03fe8ec1-96f7-4947-aca1-d2a2ea8c90ec
date added to LUP
2018-11-08 09:30:00
date last changed
2025-01-22 22:37:06
@article{03fe8ec1-96f7-4947-aca1-d2a2ea8c90ec,
  abstract     = {{<p>Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor D (VEGF-D) has important functions in lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis. High plasma levels of VEGF-D have been associated with incidence of heart failure. The association of VEGF-D with atrial fibrillation (AF) and stroke is unclear and we hypothesised that VEGF-D could also be associated with incidence of AF and ischaemic stroke. Methods: VEGF-D was measured in fasting blood samples of 4689 subjects (40% men) without a history of AF from the Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, a prospective, population-based study in Sweden. Median age was 58 years (range 46-68). Cox regression analyses, adjusted for multiple risk factors, was used to assess AF and ischaemic stroke risk in relation to VEGF-D levels. Results: During a median follow-up time of 20.6 years, there were 637 cases of incident AF and 322 cases of first ischaemic stroke. After adjustment, VEGF-D was significantly associated with AF (HR 1.13(95% CI 1.04 to 1.23) per 1 SD increase) and ischaemic stroke (HR 1.14(95% CI 1.02 to 1.28) per 1 SD). The association with ischaemic stroke was explained by an increased incidence of AF-related stroke. HRs per 1 SD were 1.34 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.71) for AF-related ischaemic stroke and 1.04 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.19) for ischaemic stroke without AF. Conclusions: Increased VEGF-D concentrations were associated with AF and ischaemic stroke. The relationship with ischaemic stroke was more pronounced in subjects with a diagnosis of AF.</p>}},
  author       = {{Berntsson, John and Smith, J. Gustav and Johnson, Linda S.B. and Söderholm, Martin and Borné, Yan and Melander, Olle and Orho-Melander, Marju and Nilsson, Jan and Engström, Gunnar}},
  issn         = {{1355-6037}},
  keywords     = {{atrial fibrillation; epidemiology; stroke}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{7}},
  pages        = {{553--558}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Heart}},
  title        = {{Increased vascular endothelial growth factor D is associated with atrial fibrillation and ischaemic stroke}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/heartjnl-2018-313684}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/heartjnl-2018-313684}},
  volume       = {{105}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}