ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND -  Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is implicated in cardiac fibrosis, but its association with adverse outcomes after myocardial infarction (MI) is unknown.

OBJECTIVES -  The purpose of this study was to examine the prognostic value of Gal-3 in a community cohort of incident MI.

METHODS -  A population-based incidence MI cohort was prospectively assembled in Olmsted County, Minnesota, between 2002 and 2012. Gal-3 levels were measured at the time of MI. Patients were followed for heart failure (HF) and death.

RESULTS -  A total of 1,342 patients were enrolled (mean age 67.1 years; 61.3% male; 78.8% non-ST-segment elevation MI). Patients with elevated Gal-3 were older and had more comorbidities. Over a mean follow-up of 5.4 years, 484 patients (36.1%) died and 368 (27.4%) developed HF. After adjustment for age, sex, comorbidities, and troponin, patients with Gal-3 values in tertiles 2 and 3 had a 1.3-fold (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9-fold to 1.7-fold) and a 2.4-fold (95% CI: 1.8-fold to 3.2-fold) increased risk of death, respectively (p_trend < 0.001) compared with patients with Gal-3 values in tertile 1. Patients with Gal-3 values in tertiles 2 and 3 had a higher risk of HF with hazard ratios of 1.4 (95% CI: 1.0 to 2.0) and 2.3 (95% CI: 1.6 to 3.2), respectively (p_trend < 0.001). With further adjustment for soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2, elevated Gal-3 remained associated with increased risk of death and HF. The increased risk of HF did not differ by HF type and was independent of the occurrence of recurrent MI.

CONCLUSIONS -  Gal-3 is an independent predictor of mortality and HF post-MI. These findings suggest a role for measuring Gal-3 levels for risk stratification post-MI.