The World Health Organization (WHO) has classed cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death globally. Image credit: fizkes / Shutterstock.

A study sponsored by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that measuring three blood biomarkers can be used to predict the risk of cardiovascular risk in women.

The three blood biomarkers included two lipid biomarkers low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and lipoprotein a, along with a marker of inflammation, C-reactive protein (CRP). The study’s findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

The study followed 27,939 women with a mean age of 54.7 years in the US for 30 years. The women started the study from 1922 to 1995. The study’s primary endpoint was a composite endpoint of the first major adverse cardiovascular event, calculated using myocardial infarction, coronary revascularisation, stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes.

During the study period, 3,662 first major cardiovascular events occurred. The researchers assessed the association between the three blood biomarkers in the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The study found that the risk of developing heart disease increased by 36%, 33%, and 70% in patients with the highest levels of LDL cholesterol, lipoprotein a, and CRP, respectively.

In addition, the patients who had raised levels of all three blood biomarkers saw their risk of having a stroke increase by 1.5 times. These participants were also three times as likely to develop coronary heart disease compared to women with the lowest levels of the three blood biomarkers. The researchers noted that the findings are unlikely to be sex-specific, and “they would expect to find similar results in men”.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classed cardiovascular diseases as the leading cause of death globally. As a result, disease prediction models in the indication have gained popularity in recent years, with multiple companies developing models.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

In May 2024, Caristo shared results from a trial of its AI CaRi-Heart technology, showing that the AI-powered platform could predict cardiac events caused by coronary inflammation at least ten years in advance. The software analysed cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) scans to determine the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.