Osteoprotegerin and outcomes in acute coronary syndromes--when the culprit is not the plaque

A study published in this issue of Heart explores the associations between plasma osteoprotegerin (OPG) collected within 48 h of the onset of symptoms of a non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and 30 day and 1 year incidence of cardiovascular death.1 A strong association was observed between OPG and cardiovascular mortality, and baseline OPG was also an independent predictor of new or worsening heart failure (HF).