Noncoding RNAs versus Protein Biomarkers in Cardiovascular Disease

The development of more sensitive protein biomarker assays results in continuous improvements in detectability, extending the range of clinical applications to the detection of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, these efforts have not yet led to improvements in risk assessment compared with existing risk scores. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been assessed as biomarkers, and miRNAs have attracted most attention. More recently, other ncRNA classes have been identified, including long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). Here, we compare emerging ncRNA biomarkers in the cardiovascular field with protein biomarkers for their potential in clinical application, focusing on myocardial injury.