Circulating microRNAs and Adverse Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease (CAD) resulting from atherosclerotic obstruction of epicardial coronary arteries accounts for more than one-third of deaths in subjects over the age of 35 worldwide. The global incidence of CAD is on the rise owing to the international epidemic of obesity, type 2 diabetes and aging, all of which are potent risk factors for coronary atherosclerosis. Participants with CAD are at high risk for subsequent adverse cardiovascular (CV) events and death; it has been estimated that one out of every five CAD patients will experience at least one adverse CV event during a 5-year follow up period. There is, however, no reliable diagnostic tool to predict the risk of adverse CV events or death in participanrs with CAD. Increasing evidence suggests that miRNAs are stably present in serum, plasma, urine, saliva and other body fluids and are considered a novel class of non-invasive biomarkers for various diseases including cancer, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases