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Published on: December 13, 2017

Troponin T is a strong marker of mortality in hospitalized patients

Kasper Iversen1, Lars Køber, Jens Peter Gøtze

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Cardiology and Endocrinology, Hillerød Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark.

International Journal of Cardiology
|November 3, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Elevated high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) is common in hospitalized older adults, affecting over half the cohort. This finding indicates that hs-TnT is a significant predictor of mortality risk in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Clinical Diagnostics
  • Biomarker Research

Background:

  • Cardiac troponins are established markers for acute coronary syndrome and stable coronary disease.
  • The prevalence and prognostic significance of elevated troponin in the general hospitalized population are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of elevated high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) in a general hospitalized population.
  • To determine the prognostic value of hs-TnT levels for mortality risk in these patients.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 1176 patients over 40 years old admitted to a district hospital was studied.
  • hs-TnT was measured using a high-sensitivity assay, alongside echocardiography and natriuretic peptides.
  • Follow-up data was collected for a median of 11.4 years.

Main Results:

  • Over half (57.1%) of the hospitalized patients had elevated hs-TnT levels (> 99th percentile).
  • Elevated hs-TnT (above median) was associated with a 3-fold higher mortality risk.
  • In patients without ischemic heart disease, hs-TnT in the upper quartile significantly increased mortality risk (HR 1.8-2.2).

Conclusions:

  • A high prevalence of elevated hs-TnT was observed in general hospitalized older patients.
  • Elevated hs-TnT serves as a potent marker for increased mortality risk in this demographic.
Abstract

Keywords:
MortalityNatriuretic peptidesTroponin

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