Arterial stiffness is associated with minimally elevated high-sensitivity cardiac, troponin T levels in a community-dwelling population.

OBJECTIVES

Arterial stiffness predicts an increased risk of future cardiovascular events, possibly via myocardial damage. Minimally elevated levels of plasma cardiac troponin T (TnT), a marker of cardiomyocyte injury, can be detected by the high-sensitivity TnT (hsTnT) assay. The current study investigated the relationship between plasma hsTnT levels and alterations in arterial stiffness in a community-based population.

METHODS

We related levels of plasma hsTnT to measures of arterial stiffness (carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity [PWV], office pulse pressure [PP] and carotid-radial PWV) in 1479 participants (mean age, 62.3 years; 619 men, 860 women) from a community-based population in Beijing, China.

RESULTS

In multiple logistic regression models, carotid-femoral PWV (OR: 1.84; 95% CI: 1.06-3.17; P=0.028) and office PP (OR: 2.02; 95% CI: 1.31-3.11; P=0.002) were associated with a higher likelihood of detectable hsTnT. In addition, carotid-femoral PWV (OR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.03-5.30; P=0.042) and office PP (OR: 2.30; 95% CI: 1.13-4.66; P=0.022) were significantly related to elevated hsTnT levels. A subsequent subgroup analysis found that, in subjects aged 60 years and older, the associations between carotid-femoral PWV and office PP and hsTnT levels were strengthened. The associations between hsTnT with any of the arterial stiffness measures were not present in the younger subgroup (<60 years old).

CONCLUSIONS

Carotid-femoral PWV and office PP are associated with minimally elevated hsTnT levels in the elderly, indicating a relationship between central artery stiffness and subclinical myocardial damage.