High-sensitivity troponin I is associated with cardiovascular outcomes but not with breast arterial calcification among postmenopausal women

Prior studies support the utility of high sensitivity troponin I (hsTnI) for cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk stratification among asymptomatic populations; however, only two prior studies examined women separately. The association between hsTnI and breast arterial calcification is unknown. Cohort study of 2896 women aged 60–79 years recruited after attending mammography screening between 10/2012 and 2/2015. BAC status (presence versus absence) and quantity (calcium mass mg) was determined using digital mammograms. Pre-specified endpoints were incident coronary heart disease (CHD), ischemic stroke, heart failure and its subtypes and all CVD. After 7.4 (SD = 1.7) years of follow-up, 51 CHD, 30 ischemic stroke and 46 heart failure events were ascertained. At a limit of detection of 1.6 ng/L, 98.3 of the cohort had measurable hsTnI concentration. HsTnI in the 4–10 ng/L range were independently associated of CHD (adjusted hazard ratio[aHR] = 2.78; 95% CI, 1.48–5.22; p = 0.002) and all CVD (aHR = 2.06; 95% CI, 1.37–3.09; p = 0.0005) and hsTnI over 10 ng/L was independently associated with CHD (aHR = 4.75; 95% CI, 1.83–12.3; p = 0.001), ischemic stroke (aHR = 3.81; 95% CI, 1.22–11.9; p = 0.02), heart failure (aHR = 3.29; 95% CI, 1.33–8.13; p = 0.01) and all CVD (aHR = 4.78; 95% CI, 2.66–8.59; p < 0.0001). No significant association was found between hsTnI and BAC. Adding hsTnI to a model containing the Pooled Cohorts Equation resulted in significant and clinical important improved calibration, discrimination (Δ Cindex = 6.5; p = 0.02) and reclassification (bias-corrected clinical NRI = 0.18; 95% CI, −0.13-0.49 after adding hsTnI categories). Our results support the consideration of hsTnI as a risk enhancing factor for CVD in asymptomatic women that could drive preventive or therapeutic decisions.