High-sensitivity cardiac troponin T in patients with intermittent claudication and its relation with cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality – The CAVASIC Study

Abstract Background . Serum concentrations of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) are elevated in various diseases. The role of this marker in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) has not been fully investigated. Methods . Hs-cTnT was measured in the CAVASIC Study, a male cohort of 235 patients diagnosed with intermittent claudication and 249 age- and diabetes-matched controls. Patients with symptomatic PAD were prospectively followed for a median time of 7 years. The association of hs-cTnT with PAD, cardiovascular disease (CVD) at baseline as well as incident CVD and all-cause mortality during follow-up was analyzed. Results . Detectable hs-cTnT was associated with an 84% higher probability for symptomatic PAD at baseline: OR = 1.84, 95%CI 1.05–3.21, p = 0.03. Inclusion of ln-NT-proBNP or prevalent CVD abolished this association (both OR = 1.22, p = 0.52). However, detectable hs-cTnT was associated with prevalent CVD ( n = 69) in PAD patients independent from ln-NT-proBNP: OR = 3.42, p = 0.001. In the adjusted Cox regression analysis detectable (HR = 2.15, p = 0.05) and especially hs-cTnT ≥14 ng/L (HR = 5.06, p