Blood proteins are linked to heart changes and disease risks

In an observational study of 68,566 adults in the UK Biobank followed for a median of 3.82 to 3.98 years, researchers examined links between 14 heart magnetic resonance imaging metrics, 41 diseases, and death. They identified 88 significant associations across body systems. In a subgroup of 7,892 participants, 681 blood proteins were associated with heart imaging traits, largely reflecting inflammation and tissue remodeling. Computer models using 26 to 57 proteins predicted the imaging measures and showed potential utility for assessing disease risk. A genetic analysis using Mendelian randomization, a method that uses gene variants to evaluate cause and effect, prioritized 222 potential causal protein-imaging pairs. This analysis also suggested that left ventricular mass, the muscle mass of the heart's main pumping chamber, potentially mediates links between five blood proteins and atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat.