Prognostic Value of Troponins in Patients With or Without Coronary Heart Disease: Is it Dependent on Structure and Biology?

Convincing evidence has emerged that cardiac troponins (cTns) T and I are the biochemical gold standard for diagnosing cardiac injury, and may also be used as efficient screening and risk stratification tools, especially when measured with the new high-sensitivity (hs-) immunoassays. In this narrative review, we aim to explore and critically discuss the results of recent epidemiological studies that have attempted to characterise the prognostic value of cTns in patients with or without cardiovascular disease, and then interpret this information according to cTn biology. Overall, all recent studies agree that higher blood levels of cTns reflect the larger risk of cardiovascular events and/or death, both in the general population and in patients with cardiovascular disease. Additional evidence has shown that the clinical information provided by assessment of both cTns molecules is greater compared to that of either protein alone, and this is mostly due to differential metabolism and clearance of cTnI and cTnT after release in the bloodstream. Although it seems likely that the prognostic value of these biomarkers may be higher than that of other conventional cardiovascular risk factors such as cholesterol or C reactive protein, large and reliable cost-effectiveness investigations are needed to define whether cTns-based population screening may be biologically plausible, clinically effective and economically sustainable.