Cardiac troponin I is associated with impaired hemodynamics, progressive left ventricular dysfunction, and increased mortality rates in advanced heart failure

Cardiac troponin I (cTnI), a sensitive and specific marker of myocardial cell injury, is useful in diagnosing and assessing prognosis in acute coronary syndromes. Small studies report that cTnI is elevated in severe heart failure (HF) and may predict adverse outcomes. The present study evaluated 238 patients with advanced HF referred for cardiac transplantation evaluation who had cTnI assay drawn at the time of initial presentation. Patients with acute myocardial infarction or myocarditis were excluded from analysis. cTnI was detectable (cTnI > or =0.04 ng/mL) in serum of 117 patients (49.1%). Patients with detectable cTnI levels had significantly higher B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels (P