Abstract
Introduction: Cardiac troponins are known as specific markers of myocardial damage. Their elevation in the serum is not always related to acute myocardial ischaemia.
The increased sensitivity of diagnostic kits has resulted in an increase in the number of positive results in patients without acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Study objectives: To determine the level of highly sensitive troponin T (hs TnT) in stable patients (without ACS) before selective coronarography (SCG) and to determine the correlation between hs TnT values and the extent of atherosclerotic damage to the coronary arteries.
Methodology: We studied a group of 251 consecutive patients with indications for SCG diagnosis. Indication criteria were stable angina pectoris, shortness of breath, newly diagnosed heart failure, syncope, and ventricular arrhythmia.
Exclusion criteria were acute coronary syndrome, including unstable angina pectoris, prior cardiopulmonary resuscitation, cerebrovascular accident (CVA) within the last 6 months, and ongoing sepsis. The hs TnT value was determined before SCG (normal range, 0-0.013 μg/l).
Monitored parameters included coronary angiography (70% stenosis of coronary artery diameter was considered significant coronary disease), age, gender, heart rate, and serum creatinine levels. The study included 182 patients with normal renal function and 69 patients with renal insufficiency.
The results were processed using STATISTICA (version 12), StatSoft(C), Inc. (2013).