Aortic stiffness is associated with elevated high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T concentrations at a chronic stage after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVES: Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV)--the proposed gold standard for the assessment of aortic stiffness--is a major determinant of left ventricular after-load and coronary perfusion. We aimed to investigate the association between aortic PWV and subclinical elevation of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-TnT) concentrations at a chronic stage after acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). METHODS: Seventy-four patients with acute STEMI were included in this cross-sectional single-centre study at the University Hospital of Innsbruck. All patients underwent cardiac MRI for the assessment of left ventricular function, morphology, infarct size and aortic PWV 12 months after acute STEMI. Blood samples were drawn at 12 months by peripheral venipuncture. Levels of hs-TnT were measured by a commercially available immunoassay (Roche Diagnostics). RESULTS: hs-TnT levels (6.4 ng/l, inter-quartile range 5.0-8.6) were significantly associated with age (r = 0.417, P < 0.001), plasma creatinine levels (r = 0.257, P = 0.027), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels (r = 0.281, P = 0.015) and aortic PWV (r = 0.435, P < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed aortic PWV (ß = 0.330, P = 0.025), apart from plasma creatinine concentrations (ß = 0.279, P = 0.010), to be independently associated with hs-TnT concentrations (model: R = 0.597, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present study showed an association of aortic stiffness and hs-TnT concentrations at a chronic stage after STEMI.