Troponin as a Prognostic Biomarker for Mortality in COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study

Background: Troponin has been widely recognized as a key prognostic biomarker for predicting mortality in patients with severe COVID-19. This study aimed to assess the relationship between troponin concentration and mortality in patients infected with the Delta variant of COVID-19. Methods: This retrospective, single-center study included 40 hospitalized COVID-19 patients aged 18 to 65 years, classified as having moderate or severe disease. Patients with pre-existing cardiovascular or muscular disorders, prior use of anticoagulants, or non-standard treatment protocols were excluded to reduce confounding. All participants had documented serum troponin levels measured at admission (troponin 0) and repeated six hours later (troponin 6). Data on demographics, comorbidities, laboratory findings, and clinical outcomes were extracted from medical records. Statistical analyses were performed to assess correlations between troponin levels and disease severity. Results: Serum troponin levels showed a significant positive correlation with age (r = 0.482, P = 0.002) and were notably higher among retired individuals (H = 6.45, P = 0.040). No significant association was found between troponin levels and clinical symptoms (P > 0.05). A significant negative correlation was observed between diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and troponin (r = –0.421, P = 0.008). Patients who died had significantly elevated troponin levels (U = 0.62, P = 0.001). A troponin cutoff value of 15.5 ng/L predicted mortality with 70.6% sensitivity and 90.9% specificity. Conclusion: The findings of this report indicate that elevated troponin concentrations were more frequently observed in older individuals and in patients with lower DBP. Moreover, higher troponin levels were significantly associated with increased mortality, likely due to direct cardiac damage from SARS-CoV-2 or the body’s inflammatory response to the infection.