Prevention & lipidsCohort study
The Prognostic Value of Serum Interleukin-6 Concentrations for 9 Cardiovascular and Mortality Outcomes
- Pooled individual-participant data analysis of prospective cohort studies
- multiethnic
- 14 cohorts
- multivariable-adjusted
Authors' conclusion
In this large, harmonized, individual-level participant data analysis of prospective cohorts, higher IL-6 concentrations were strongly associated with 9 cardiovascular and mortality outcomes after controlling for clinical covariates.
Study context
- Population
- Community-based, diverse prospective cohorts with blood IL-6 measurements
- Participants
- 59,396 participants · 14 cohorts
- Exposure
- Highest vs lowest IL-6 quartile
- Outcome
- Incident CV events and mortality (MI, stroke, AF, HF, total CHD, total CVD, all-cause mortality, CVD-specific mortality, CHD-specific mortality)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Association of IL-6 with 9 CV and mortality outcomes
Adjusted hazard ratio
2.12
95% CI 1.88–2.39
Highest IL-6 quartile vs Lowest IL-6 quartile
adjusted HR 2.12 (95% CI 1.88–2.39)
- Weakest association: MI, HR
- 1.45 (1.28-1.64) (95% CI)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Subgroups (CKD, DM, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), BMI) and secondary prevention
- Findings robust and consistent in all key subgroups and in secondary prevention
Discrimination (AUC)
- IL-6 alone showed modest additive discrimination beyond hsCRP for stroke, HF, cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD) and mortality
Original publication
The Prognostic Value of Serum Interleukin-6 Concentrations for 9 Cardiovascular and Mortality Outcomes. J Am Coll Cardiol. Published 27 May 2026. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2026.04.015
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it