High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin and New-Onset Heart Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 67,063 Patients With 4,165 Incident Heart Failure Events

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to systematically collate and appraise the available evidence regarding the association between high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) and incident heart failure (HF) and the added value of hs-cTn in HF prediction.

Background: Identification of subjects at high risk for HF and early risk factor modification with medications such as angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors may delay the onset of HF. Hs-cTn has been suggested as a prognostic marker for the incidence of first-ever HF in asymptomatic subjects.

Methods: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were systematically searched for prospective cohort studies published before January 2017 that reported associations between hs-cTn and incident HF in subjects without baseline HF. Study-specific multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis.

Results: Data were collated from 16 studies with a total of 67,063 subjects and 4,165 incident HF events. The average age was 57 years, and 47% were women. Study quality was high (Newcastle-Ottawa score 8.2 of 9). In a comparison of participants in the top third with those in the bottom third of baseline values of hs-cTn, the pooled multivariate-adjusted HR for incident HF was 2.09 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.76 to 2.48; p < 0.001). Between-study heterogeneity was high, with an I² value of 80%. HRs were similar in men and women (2.29 [95% CI: 1.64 to 3.21] vs. 2.18 [95% CI: 1.68 to 2.81]) and for hs-cTnI and hs-cTnT (2.09 [95% CI: 1.53 to 2.85] vs. 2.11 [95% CI: 1.69 to 2.63]) and across other study-level characteristics. Further adjustment for B-type natriuretic peptide yielded a similar HR of 2.08 (95% CI: 1.64 to 2.65). Assay of hs-cTn in addition to conventional risk factors provided improvements in the C index of 1% to 3%.

Conclusions: Available prospective studies indicate a strong association of hs-cTn with the risk of first-ever HF and significant improvements in HF prediction.

Keywords: biomarkers; heart failure; meta-analysis; risk prediction.