Adropin, a peptide involved in endothelial and metabolic regulation, has been investigated as a potential biomarker in cardiovascular disease and cardiometabolic disorders. A prospective cohort study presented at the Heart Failure 2026 evaluated whether baseline serum adropin predicts progression to heart failure (HF) and whether this relationship differs according to circadian blood pressure (BP) patterns measured by ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM).
The study included 133 patients with essential hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and body mass index of at least 25 kg/m², without prior myocardial infarction or diagnosed heart failure. All underwent 24-hour ABPM and were classified as dippers (night-time systolic BP fall 10% or more) or non-dippers (all other profiles). Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between adropin and HF risk, adjusting for age, sex, LVEF, and comorbidities.
Findings
- During follow-up, HF progression occurred in 11 of 133 patients (8.3%).
- HF progression occurred in 3 of 71 dippers (4.2%) and 8 of 62 non-dippers (12.9%).
- Baseline serum adropin was lower in patients with HF progression compared with event-free participants: 2.45 (0.63) vs 3.24 (0.89) ng/mL (p=0.0004).
- In adjusted analyses, lower adropin independently predicted HF progression among dippers: OR 1.31 (95% CI 1.08–2.96; p=0.021).
- No significant association between adropin and HF progression was observed in non-dippers: OR 1.14 (95% CI 0.76–1.72; p=0.58).
In patients with cardiometabolic hypertension, lower serum adropin levels were associated with increased risk of heart failure progression over 12 months among patients with preserved nocturnal BP dipping patterns.
