Serum microRNA-204 levels are associated with long-term cardiovascular disease risk based on the Framingham risk score in patients with type 2 diabetes: results from an observational study

Background Previous studies have demonstrated that micro RNA-204(mi R-204) is involved in atherosclerosis and vascular calcification. However, the value of mi R-204 as the predictive biomarker for cardiovascular disease(CVD) remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the association between the circulating mi R-204 level and ten-year CVD risk based on the Framingham risk score(FRS). Methods In this retrospective study, we enrolled 194 consecutive patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM) without CVD in Beijing Anzhen Hospital between January 2015 and September 2016. We used the FRS to evaluate the risk of CVD for each patient. Circulating mi R-204 levels were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results Circulating mi R-204 levels were significantly lower in the group of patients(0.49 ± 0.13) at high risk of CVD(FRS > 20%) than in the low(FRS < 10%) and intermediate(FRS: 10%–20%) risk groups(0.87 ± 0.19 and 0.75 ± 0.25, respectively;P < 0.001). FRS was negatively correlated with mi R-204 levels(r =-0.421, P < 0.001). According to multivariate logistic analyses, reduced mi R-204 level was independently associated with an increased risk of CVD after adjusting for conventional risk factors(OR = 0.876, 95% CI: 0.807–0.950, P = 0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the circulating mi R-204 level can predict the high risk of CVD with higher specificity than the traditional risk factor of high systolic blood pressure or the protective factor of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusions Our study demonstrated that patients with lower circulating mi R-204 levels were at high risk for CVD. After adjustment for potential confounders, mi R-204 was independently associated with CVD in patients with T2DM.