The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study has identified five distinct plasma proteins—PTK7, CHAD, LRIG1, FBLN5, and CILP2—specifically associated with heart failure (HF) risk in individuals with diabetes.
Four of these markers (PTK7, CHAD, LRIG1, FBLN5) are novel discoveries in the context of diabetic heart disease, while CILP2 reinforces known pathways.
Pathways involving lipid metabolism, chronic inflammation, and brown adipose tissue were significantly over-represented in the diabetic HF proteomic signature.
While NT-proBNP (NPPB) remains a universal marker for HF, these specific proteins offer a unique window into the pathophysiology of ‘diabetic cardiomyopathy’ independent of general cardiac strain.
