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High Cardiac Troponin I Is Associated With Transesophageal Echocardiographic Risk of Thromboembolism and Ischemic Stroke Events in Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation Patients.
Circ J. 2018 Mar 31;:
Authors: Tanaka S, Hirai T, Inao K, Fukuda N, Nakagawa K, Inoue H, Kinugawa K
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Abnormalities in the left atrium (LA) detected on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) are reliable predictors of thromboembolism in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Cardiac troponin I, a marker of subclinical myocardial damage, may also be a predictor of thromboembolic events in patients with AF. The relationship between cardiac troponin I and thromboembolic risk on TEE, however, remains unclear.Methods and Results:TEE and laboratory data, including high sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and CHA2DS2-VASc score, were analyzed in 199 patients with non-valvular AF (NVAF). Patients were stratified into those with or without LA abnormality, defined as LA appendage flow velocity <20 cm/s or dense spontaneous echo contrast. On multiple logistic analysis of the clinical variables, hs-cTnI was associated with LA abnormality (95% CI: 1.0003-1.020, P=0.034). The area under the curve for LA abnormality increased on addition of hs-cTnI to CHA2DS2-VASc score. The incidence rate of ischemic stroke was higher in the high hs-cTnI group than in the low-hs-cTnI group (log-rank test, P<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Elevated hs-cTnI was independently associated with LA abnormality in NVAF patients. hs-cTnI level may be a useful biomarker for risk stratification of thromboembolism in NVAF patients.
PMID: 29607894 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]