The capability of plasma osteoprotegerin as a predictor of cardiovascular disease: a systematic literature review

Objective: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) strongly inhibits bone resorption and may also serve as a vascular Calcification inhibitor. However, recent studies have indicated that high plasma OPG is it strong predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality To evaluate this capability. the data concerning OPG; its it CVD predictor was gathered through a systematic literature review. Design and methods: Studies investigating OPG, its it predictor of CVD or mortality were extracted front Medline and the Cochrane Library, retrieving 187 articles. Non-relevant articles were excluded, resulting in it total of 45 articles. After thorough evaluation of the abstracts. only eight prospective studies containing a follow-up period with a clinical emphasis on CVD were eligible for the literature review. Results: All studies except one confirmed that OPG measurement adds important prognostic information to the existing markers of CVD and mortality in high-risk populations. Hazard ratios emphasized the significant correlation between plasma OPG concentration and mortality Due to methodological problems (e.g.. population investigated. measurement principle. and statistics performed). meta-analysis could not be performed. As only one study was conducted in a healthy cohort, the results cannot per se be extrapolated to the general population. Conclusion: The combined results support plasma OPG as an independent predictor of CVD and mortality in high-risk populations. However, more longitudinal studies in general cohorts are needed before the use of plasma OPG can be evaluated in this regard.