Prognosis in relation to high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T levels in patients with myocardial infarction and non-obstructive coronary arteries

• Published in: The American heart journal 2018-06, Vol.200, p.60-66
• Main Authors: Hjort, Marcus, Lindahl, Bertil, Baron, Tomasz, Jernberg, Tomas, Tornvall, Per, Eggers, Kai M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Anticoagulants; Arteries; Biomarkers; Calcium-binding protein; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular diseases; Cerebral infarction; Coronary artery; Coronary artery disease; Coronary vessels; Diabetes; Heart; Heart attacks; Heart diseases; Hospitalization; Hypertension; Ischemia; Medical imaging; Medical prognosis; Medicin och hälsovetenskap; Mortality; Myocardial infarction; Patients; Prognosis; Risk assessment; Sensitivity; Stenosis; Stroke; Troponin; Troponin T
• ISSN: 0002-8703; 1097-6744; 1097-6744
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ahj.2018.03.005

Myocardial infarction (MI) with non-obstructive coronary arteries (MINOCA) is a recently recognized condition where biomarkers and prognosis are less well studied than in MI with obstructive coronary artery disease (MI-CAD). We therefore aimed to investigate the one-year prognostic value of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) levels in MINOCA in comparison to MI-CAD. In this registry-based cohort study, we used data from patients with a discharge diagnosis of MI, admitted between 2009 and 2013 to Swedish hospitals using the hs-cTnT assay. Only patients without previously known coronary artery disease were considered. Patients with and without coronary stenosis >50% were regarded to have MI-CAD and MINOCA, respectively. Assessed outcomes included all-cause mortality, cardiovascular (CV) mortality and major CV events (MACE), defined as the composite of CV death or admissions for non-fatal MI, heart failure (HF) or ischemic stroke. The study cohort consisted of 1639 MINOCA and 17,304 MI-CAD patients. In adjusted analyses, hs-cTnT (ln) in MINOCA patients predicted all-cause mortality (HR 1.32 [95% CI 1.11-1.56]), CV mortality (HR 2.11 [95% CI 1.51-2.96]) and MACE (HR 1.44 [95% CI 1.20-1.72]). Hs-cTnT (ln) also predicted readmissions for HF (HR 1.51 [95% CI 1.51-2.96]) but not non-fatal MI or stroke. Interaction analyses suggested that hs-cTnT (ln) was at least as prognostic in patients with MINOCA compared to MI-CAD. Hs-cTnT levels in MINOCA patients are strong and independent predictors of adverse outcome. Consideration of hs-cTnT levels is important for risk assessment of MINOCA patients.