Relation Between Troponin T and the Risk of Subsequent Cardiac Events in Unstable Coronary Artery Disease

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Abstract
Background Early risk assessment is important in patients with unstable coronary artery disease, ie, unstable angina or non–Q-wave myocardial infarction. Some previous small studies have indicated that patients with unstable angina and elevation of troponin T (tn-T) have worse short-term and long-term prognoses. In this study, the prognostic value of tn-T was evaluated and compared with other early available risk indicators. Methods and Results Nine hundred seventy-six patients participating in a randomized study of low-molecular-weight heparin in unstable coronary artery disease were followed for 5 months after the index episode. The risk of cardiac events increased with increasing maximal levels of tn-T obtained in the initial 24 hours. The lowest quintile (Conclusions Troponin T determination is an inexpensive and widely applicable method for early risk assessment in patients with unstable coronary artery disease. The maximum tn-T value obtained during the first 24 hours provides independent and important prognostic information.