Prognostic value of cardiac troponin T elevation is independent of renal function and clinical findings in heart failure patients.

Background: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and prognostic value of elevated cardiac troponin (cTnT) and its association with clinical characteristics according to renal function status in patients with stable heart failure.
Methods: In a prospective observational study, 152 consecutive patients from the Heart Failure Clinic of the INCMNSZ were followed for a period of 42 months. All underwent clinical evaluation, echocardiography, and determination of body composition by electric bioimpedance to identify hypervolemia. Concentrations of cTnT were quantified by immunoassay with electrochemoluminescence and > or = 0.02 ng/mL levels were considered elevated. Also glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was estimated using the Cockcroft-Gault equation.
Results: Elevated cTnT was significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality in the observational period even after adjusting for eGFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2 and clinical findings such as hypertension, functional class, loop diuretics, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, pulmonary pressure and hypervolemia in Cox regression analysis with a hazard ratio of 4.58 (95% confidence interval: 1.84-11.45).
Conclusions: Heart failure patients with elevated cardiac-specific troponin T are at increased risk of death independently of the presence of chronic kidney disease.