Carbon monoxide as an marker for cardiovascular risk

January 01, 0001

Carbon monoxide as an marker for cardiovascular risk

Carbon monoxide is a second messenger, and overproduction is associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. These US researchers examined exhaled CO to the the development of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. They did so using participants in the Framingham Heart Study (14 943 routine examinations, 4139 unique participants, mean age 46 years).

The researchers found: "Baseline exhaled CO was associated with the presence of cardiometabolic risk factors (including smoking) and prevalent metabolic syndrome (odds ratio, 1.09 per log CO). During up to 4 years of follow-up, 1458 participants developed new-onset metabolic syndrome, and 416 experienced a first cardiovascular disease event. Compared with individuals in the lowest quartile of exhaled CO, those in the highest quartile were more likely to develop metabolic syndrome (odds ratio, 1.48) and cardiovascular disease events (hazard ratio, 1.66) in multivariable analyses that included adjustment for smoking status."

The researchers concluded: "In our community-based sample, higher exhaled CO levels predicted the development of metabolic syndrome and future cardiovascular disease events, underscoring the importance of this endogenous second messenger in the pathogenesis of metabolic and vascular risk."

Carbon monoxide may prove to be a marker for development of metabolic syndrome and identify patients for intervention

For the full abstract, click here.

Circulation 122(15):1470-1477, 12 October 2010 © 2010 American Heart Association, Inc.
Exhaled Carbon Monoxide and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Disease in the Community. Susan Cheng, Asya Lyass, Joseph M. Massaro, George T. O'Connor, John F. Keaney, Jr, Ramachandran S. Vasan.

Category: K. Circulatory. Keywords: carbon monoxide, CO, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular risk, Framingham Heart Study, prospective cohort, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Paul Schaefer, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 19 November 2010

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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