New biomarkers and risk stratification in atrial fibrillation: simplicity and practicality matter

Helen R. Griffiths, Gregory Y.H. Lip

Research output: Contribution to journalEditorialpeer-review

Abstract

Advances in our understanding of pathological mechanisms can inform the identification of various biomarkers for risk stratification, monitoring drug efficacy and toxicity; and enabling careful monitoring of polypharmacy. Biomarkers in the broadest sense refer to 'biological markers' and this can be blood-based (eg. fibrin D-dimer, von Willebrand factor, etc) urine-based (eg. thromboxane), or even related to cardiac or cerebral imaging(1). Most biomarkers offer improvements over clinical risk scores in predicting high risk patients - at least statistically - but usually at the loss of simplicity and practicality for easy application in everyday clinical practice. Given the various biomarkers can be informed by different aspects of pathophysiology (e.g. inflammation, clotting, collagen turnover) they can nevertheless contribute to a better understanding of underlying disease processes(2). Indeed, many age-related diseases share common modifiable underpinning mechanisms e.g. inflammation, oxidative stress and visceral adiposity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1837-1839
Number of pages3
JournalCirculation
Volume130
Issue number21
Early online date7 Oct 2014
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Nov 2014

Keywords

  • antithrombotic agents
  • biomarkers
  • bleeding
  • Editorials
  • reactive oxygen species
  • stroke
  • thioredoxin

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'New biomarkers and risk stratification in atrial fibrillation: simplicity and practicality matter'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this