Extracellular vesicles as biomarkers for diagnostic and prognostic application in cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis and the development of a prognosis is important for management or secondary prevention of the disease. In the past few decades, various biomarkers have been identified for improved risk assessment, more accurate diagnosis and prognosis, and a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiology in CVD. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are thought to be important to cell-to-cell communication in the heart, and EV counts, cellular origin, and EV content have been related to CVD. This review examines current evidence for the potential application of EVs as a new class of biomarkers in CVD.

Keywords: extracellular vesicles, biomarker, liquid biopsy, cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension