Insulin Resistance May Be Important Risk Factor for Most Common Heart Valve Disease: Study Finds - Video

A large population study of men over 45 indicates insulin resistance may be an important risk factor for the development of the world's most common heart valve disease-aortic stenosis (AS). The findings are published in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Medicine.

In the current study, researchers analysed data from 10,144 Finnish men aged 45 to 73 years old, all initially free of aortic stenosis, participating in the

Metabolic Syndrome in Men (METSIM) Study. At the start of the study, the researchers measured several biomarkers, including those related to hyperinsulinemia and/or insulin resistance. After an average follow-up period of 10.8 years, 116 men (1.1%) were diagnosed with aortic stenosis.

The team identified several biomarkers related to insulin resistance – such as fasting insulin, insulin at 30 minutes and 120 minutes, proinsulin, and serum C-peptide – that were associated with increased aortic stenosis risk. These biomarkers remained significant predictors of aortic stenosis, even after adjusting for other known risk factors, such as body mass index (BMI) and high blood pressure, or excluding participants with diabetes or an aortic valve malformation. The researchers then used advanced statistical techniques to isolate key biomarker profiles, identifying two distinct patterns that indicate insulin resistance as a predictor of aortic stenosis, independent of other cardiovascular risk factors, such as age, blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

Reference: Sohlman, M., Jauhiainen, R., Vangipurapu, J., Laakso, A., Ala-Korpela, M., Kuulasmaa, T., & Kuusisto, J. (2024). Biomarkers reflecting insulin resistance increase the risk of aortic stenosis in a population-based study of 10,144 Finnish men. Annals of Medicine, 56(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/07853890.2024.2419996