Osteoprotegerin (OPG) as Significant Biomarker of Cardiovascular Disease
Abstract
Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a soluble glycoprotein, which is primarily involved in bone metabolism and is also part of the superfamily tumor factor necrosis receptor TNF. Earlier studies showed that OPG levels of plasma are an independent cardiovascular risk factor. In combination with vascular calcification, myocardial infarction, and stroke, OPG levels in the blood also increase. Previous studies indicate an increase in the levels of OPG in diabetic patients who die of cardiovascular disease. OPG is deposited at the sites of damage to the inner artery wall and merges with fatty deposits that harden in the form of plates and eventually cause a blockage in the blood vessels and occurrence of atherosclerosis, thus caused myocardial infarction or heart attacks. Moreover, patients with diabetes develop intra-endothelial dysfunction in addition to the patient’s CV risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, and dyslipidemia. Given the importance of the OPG in cardiovascular diseases, including atherosclerotic diseases, as a biomarker. Since OPG’s function remains obscure, evidence of positive association with cardiovascular disease and diabetes-related cardiovascular disease has been presented from previous studies. Therefore, the purpose of the article was to provide an overview of the main aspects of OPG in cardio-vascular and heart diseases associated with diabetes in physiological and pathophysiological terms.
Copyright (c) 2021 The Autho(s)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Focus on Medical Sciences Journal is an open access Journal. Articles are distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. For non-commercial purpose, the published materials in whole or in part may use, distribute, and reproduce with proper citations. Authors will retain copyright of their papers without restrictions