Use of cTn for detection of more chronic disease states

Abstract

Progressively higher levels of cTn measured by new high sensitive assays, typically well below the range of detection by contemporary cTn assays, are associated with a pattern of both abnormal cross-sectional findings with cardiac imaging and risk factors as well as adverse prognostic consequences in a wide range of chronic settings ranging from the asymptomatic general populations to subjects with known coronary or structural heart disease. However, as of this writing the role for high sensitive cTn assays outside the evaluation and management of acute coronary syndromes is still a work in progress. Both data and hence guidelines are not ready to provide direction for the evaluation of the asymptomatic patient. This remains an area of intense research and ultimately after the completion of appropriately powered and designed intervention trials based on patient selection by high sensitive cTn level, the role for cTn testing may extend well beyond the patient with AMI.