Heart failure & cardiomyopathiesCohort study
Hepcidin, incident heart failure, and cardiac dysfunction in older adults: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study
- Prospective cohort study
- community-based
- longitudinal
Authors' conclusion
In community-dwelling older adults without anaemia, lower plasma hepcidin levels associate with a higher risk of incident HF (particularly HFpEF) and diastolic dysfunction.
Study context
- Population
- Older adults free of anaemia and heart failure (HF) at ARIC Visit 5 (2011–13)mean age 75 ± 5 years, 56% women
- Exposure
- Lower vs higher plasma hepcidin levels
- Outcome
- Incident HF (overall adjudicated), HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and HF with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Incident HF per 50% lower hepcidin
Per 50% lower hepcidinHazard ratio (95% CI)P value
overall incident HF
1.15(1.05–1.26)
P = 0.003HFpEF
1.25(1.10–1.42)
P = 0.001HFrEF
1.08(0.94–1.24)
P = 0.30Per 50% lower hepcidin, as printed
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Echocardiographic measures (cross-sectional)
- Lower hepcidin associated with higher E wave
- P = 0.046
- Lower hepcidin associated with higher E/e' ratio
- P = 0.002
- Lower hepcidin associated with higher left atrial volume index
- P = 0.005
- Lower hepcidin associated with higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure
- P = 0.02
Original publication
Hepcidin, incident heart failure, and cardiac dysfunction in older adults: the ARIC study. Eur J Prev Cardiol. Published 16 January 2025. doi:10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf018
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it