Protective effect of high-density lipoprotein in infective endocarditis patients after valve surgery

INTRODUCTION Lipoproteins and insulin resistance are associated with the prognosis of cardiovascular disease, with strong evidence supporting a causal relationship for some; however, whether lipoproteins and insulin resistance have prognostic value in patients with infective endocarditis after valve surgery remains unclear. METHODS We included 278 consecutive patients with a definite diagnosis of IE who underwent valve surgery from January 2010 to December 2022. Mortality was analyzed in relation to lipid profile and insulin resistance. Patients were divided into a higher high-density lipoprotein (＞0.905 mmol/L) group and a lower high-density lipoprotein (≤0.905 mmol/L) group based on the cutoff value of the high-density lipoprotein. A Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was conducted for patients in two groups. Subgroup analysis and restricted cubic splines regression of the association between baseline high-density lipoprotein and incident all-cause mortality were performed. RESULTS Among 278 patients (mean age 44.96 years, 28.1 % female), there were 36 all-cause mortalities during a median 60.98 months follow-up. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed lower 12-year mortality in patients with high-density lipoprotein levels > 0.905 mmol/L (HR = 0.125, p < 0.001). There were no significant interactions in any of the subgroups. The adverse effect of high-density lipoprotein on all-cause mortality was consistent after adjusting for the confounders across all subgroups. The restricted cubic splines regression model revealed a linear association between high-density lipoprotein and the risk of all-cause mortality ( p for nonlinearity = 0.477), and this linear association is more pronounced in women. CONCLUSION High-density lipoprotein levels are associated with lower mortality in infective endocarditis patients after valve surgery, particularly in female patients.