title: Activin A Predicts Left Ventricular Remodeling and Mortality in Patients with ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Activin A levels increase in a variety of heart diseases including ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of this study is to investigate whether the level of activin A can be beneficial in predicting left ventricular remodeling, heart failure, and death in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 278 patients with STEMI who had their activin A levels measured on day 2 of hospitalization. Echocardiographic studies were performed at baseline and were repeated 6 months later. Thereafter, the clinical events of these patients were followed for a maximum of 3 years, including all-cause death and readmission for heart failure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During hospitalization, higher activin A level was associated with higher triglyceride level, lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), and lower left ventricular end diastolic ventricular volume index (LVEDVI) in multivariable linear regression model. During follow-up, patients with activin A levels > 129 pg/ml had significantly lower LVEF, and higher LVEDVI at 6 months. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that activin A level > 129 pg/ml was a predictor of all-cause death (p = 0.022), but not a predictor of heart failure (p = 0.767).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Activin A level > 129 pg/ml predicts worse left ventricular remodeling and all-cause death in STEMI.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City; ; School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien;
authors.forename: Jeng-Feng
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City; ; School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien;
authors.forename: Shun-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City;
authors.forename: Ming-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City; ; Department of Life Science, Chinese Culture University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Semon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City;
authors.forename: Chien-An
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City;
authors.forename: Shih-Jung
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City;
authors.forename: Chih-Jen
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City;
authors.forename: Hsuan-Li
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, New Taipei City; ; School of Medicine, Tzu Chi University, Hualien;
authors.forename: Yu-Lin
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Ko
keywords: Activin A; Acute myocardial infarction; Left ventricular remodeling