Abstract 18665: Galectin-3 Predicts Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction After Myocardial Infarction

Introduction: Galectin-3 has been shown to be a strong prognostic marker for heart failure (HF) and predicts HF development. Although galectin-3 correlates with markers of cardiac remodeling, no definite data are available on its role in post-myocardial infarction (MI) setting. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of galectin-3 on cardiac remodeling in post-MI patients. Methods: The GIPS-III study was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study in 380 patients who underwent primary PCI for STEMI and studied the effect of metformin on left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). In 263 patients (age 57.8±11.6 years; 78.0% men), both baseline galectin-3 levels and MRI data after 4 months were available. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine the association of galectin-3 levels and LVEF at 4 months after STEMI. Results: Median baseline galectin-3 level was 13.4 ng/mL (IQR: 11.5-16.4). Galectin-3 levels were divided in quartiles: patients with the highest galectin-3 levels had the lowest LVEF, 4 months after STEMI (median LVEF in quartiles of galectin-3: 56.6, 57.3, 54.8, 53.6; P = 0.003). Multivariable regression analysis showed that galectin-3 was an independent and strong predictor for LVEF, after adjustment for age, sex, NT-proBNP, myocardial blush, treatment effect, creatine kinase, creatinine and BMI (P = 0.001). Finally, using the FDA-approved cutpoint of 17.8 ng/mL, patients with elevated galectin-3 levels had significant lower LVEF after 4 months (P Conclusion: Galectin-3 is a strong and independent predictor for LVEF after 4 months in patients with a first MI. Possibly, the described pro-fibrotic effects of galectin-3 have deleterious effects on cardiac remodeling.