In a prospective, population-based cohort analysis, mitochondrial DNA copy number is independently associated with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and may have clinical utility in CVD risk classification. The analysis included 21 870 participants (20 163 free from CVD at baseline, mean age 62.4 years, and 54.7% women) from 3 studies with a mean follow-up of 13.5 years. The hazard ratios for incident coronary heart disease, stroke, and CVD associated with a 1-SD decrease in mitochondrial DNA copy number were 1.29, 1.11, and 1.23. The associations persisted after adjustment for traditional CVD risk factors. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a core component of the aging process and may play a key role in atherosclerotic CVD. Source: https://jamanetwork.com/
