Troponin and Cardiac Events in Stable Ischemic Heart Disease and Diabetes

Among patients with diabetes and stable heart disease, those with troponin T levels of 14 ng per liter or more had a 5-year rate of cardiovascular death, MI, or stroke of 27%, versus 13% in those with lower levels, but received no benefit from prompt revascularization. Cardiac troponin concentration is the preferred marker of myocardial necrosis. 1 Elevated concentrations of cardiac troponin have a strong association with an adverse prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndromes and are used to identify patients who are likely to benefit from an early invasive management strategy. 2 – 4 High-sensitivity assays that allow the measurement of very low cardiac troponin levels in patients with stable heart disease are now available for clinical and research use. These low, previously undetectable troponin concentrations have shown strong associations with myocardial infarction, stroke, and death in a variety of primary and secondary prevention populations, including in . . .