Chronic kidney disease (CKD) represents one of strongest risk factor for cardiovascular events. Michael Weyrich and colleagues from the Goethe-University Frankfurt uncovered age-dependent loss of Y chromosome (LOY) in hematopoietic cells as a novel driver of CKD-associated cardiovascular diseases in men.
The frequency of LOY steeply increased in male patients with CKD at the age of 60. A higher frequency of LOY was associated with higher all-cause and cardiovascular mortality and, in particular, a higher risk for heart failure events. Patients with LOY >17 % showed significantly higher plasma levels of ST2, a marker for myocardial fibrosis.
These findings highlight LOY as a novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease and may explain high residual cardiovascular risk in CKD patients.
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