Cardiac biomarkers in the new millennium

Cardiac disease is the major cause of death in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), accounting for about 45% of all deaths. In dialysis patients about 20% of cardiac deaths are attributed to acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The survival of dialysis patients after AMI is poor, with nearly three-quarters of patients dead at 2 years after AMI. The definition of AMI is based on symptoms, electrocardiography, and cardiac biomarkers. In the non-ESRD population, it has been recognized that sensitive markers of myocardial injury (cardiac troponin I and troponin T) define a group of patients who are increased risk for adverse cardiac outcomes and who are more likely to benefit from treatment. Elevated cardiac troponin levels in nonhospitalized ESRD patients without other evidence of ongoing myocardial ischemia may also prospectively identify a subgroup of ESRD patients at increased risk for death. This editorial is an overview of cardiac biomarkers (specifically troponin I and troponin T) in the management of acute coronary syndromes in ESRD patients. A potential role of cardiac troponin testing for risk stratification in the outpatient dialysis unit is also presented.