Rising Cardiac Troponin: A Prognostic Biomarker for Mortality After Acute Ischemic Stroke

Elevated cardiac troponin (cTn) is detected in 10% to 30% of patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and correlates with poor functional outcomes. Serial cTn measurements differentiate a dynamic cTn pattern (rise/fall >20%), specific for acute myocardial injury, from elevated but stable cTn levels (nondynamic), typically attributed to chronic cardiac/noncardiac conditions. We investigated if the direction of the cTn change (rising versus falling) affects mortality and outcome.

We retrospectively screened consecutive patients with AIS admitted to 5 stroke centers for elevated cTn at admission and at least 1 additional cTn measurement within 48 hours. The pattern of cTn was defined as rising if >20% increase from baseline, falling if >20% decrease, or nondynamic if ≤20% change in either direction. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the association of cTn patterns and 7-day mortality and unfavorable discharge disposition. Of 3789 patients with AIS screened, 300 were included. Seventy-two had a rising pattern, 66 falling, and 162 nondynamic. In patients with AIS with rising cTn, acute ischemic myocardial infarction was present in 54%, compared with 33% in those with falling cTn (P<0.01). Twenty-two percent of patients with a rising pattern had an isolated dynamic cTn in the absence of any ECG or echocardiogram changes, compared with 53% with falling cTn. A rising pattern was associated with higher risk of 7-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio [OR]=32 [95% CI, 2.5-415.0] rising versus aOR=1.3 [95% CI, 0.1-38.0] falling versus nondynamic as reference) and unfavorable discharge disposition (aOR=2.5 [95% CI, 1.2-5.2] rising versus aOR=0.6 [95% CI, 0.2-1.5] versus falling).

Rising cTn is independently associated with increased mortality and unfavorable discharge disposition in patients with AIS.