November 30th, 2009
Even Very Low Levels of Cardiac Troponin T Linked to Heart Failure, Cardiovascular Death
Larry Husten, PHD
Even very low levels of cardiac troponin T are associated with increased risk for heart failure and cardiovascular death among patients with stable heart disease, according to an industry-funded study in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Using a highly sensitive assay, researchers tested for troponin T in nearly 3700 adults with stable coronary artery disease and preserved left ventricular function, and then followed them for roughly 5 years. (The assay is not commercially available.)
The test detected very low troponin T levels in nearly all subjects — levels that would have gone undetected using conventional assays, the researchers write. Even at these low concentrations, increasing troponin T was associated with elevated risk for cardiovascular death or heart failure (but not MI).
