Relation between high-sensitivity troponin I serum levels and myocardial ischemia in patients with suspected chronic coronary syndrome: The RESET-MI study

Background: Previous studies showed that exercise may increase cardiac troponin serum levels; whether the occurrence of myocardial ischemia influences the changes of exercise-induced troponin raise, however, remains debatable.

Methods: We prospectively enrolled consecutive patients undergoing for the first time an elective stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPS) because of clinical suspicion of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients were divided into 3 groups based on the evidence and degree of stress-induced myocardial ischemia at MPS: 1) group 1, no myocardial ischemia (≤4 %); 2) group 2, mild myocardial ischemia (5-10 %); 3) group 3, moderate-to-severe myocardial ischemia (≥10 %). High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (cTnI) was measured immediately before (T₀) and 1 hour (T₁) and 4 h (T₂) after the stress test.

Results: One hundred-seven patients (71 males; age 65.6 ± 9.4 years) were enrolled in the study. Serum hs-cTnI concentrations (logarithmic values) significantly increased after MPS, compared to baseline, in the whole population, from 1.47±1.26 ng/L at T₀, to 1.68±1.12 ng/L at T₁ (p<0.001) and 2.15±1.02 ng/L at T₂ (p<0.001 vs. both T₀ and T₁). The increase in hs-cTnI did not significantly differ between the 3 groups (p = 0.44). The heart rate achieved during the test was the strongest determinant of cTnI increase (p < 0.001) after the stress test.

Conclusions: In patients with suspected CAD, stress MPS induces an increase of cTnI that is independent of the induction and extension/severity of myocardial ischemia and is mainly related to myocardial work, as indicated by the heart rate achieved during the test.