Association Between Troponin Levels and Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source.

TitleAssociation Between Troponin Levels and Embolic Stroke of Undetermined Source.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsMerkler AE, Gialdini G, Murthy SB, Omran SSalehi, Moya A, Lerario MP, Chong J, Okin PM, Weinsaft JW, Safford MM, Fink ME, Navi BB, Iadecola C, Kamel H
JournalJ Am Heart Assoc
Volume6
Issue9
Date Published2017 Sep 22
ISSN2047-9980
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to determine whether patients with embolic strokes of undetermined source (ESUS) have higher rates of elevated troponin than patients with noncardioembolic strokes.

METHODS AND RESULTS: CAESAR (The Cornell Acute Stroke Academic Registry) prospectively enrolled all adults with acute stroke from 2011 to 2014. Two neurologists used standard definitions to retrospectively ascertain the etiology of stroke, with a third resolving disagreements. In this analysis we included patients with ESUS and, as controls, patients with small- and large-artery strokes; only patients with a troponin measured within 24 hours of stroke onset were included. A troponin elevation was defined as a value exceeding our laboratory's upper limit (0.04 ng/mL) without a clinically recognized acute ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the association between troponin elevation and ESUS after adjustment for demographics, stroke severity, insular infarction, and vascular risk factors. In a sensitivity analysis we excluded patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation after discharge. Among 512 patients, 243 (47.5%) had ESUS, and 269 (52.5%) had small- or large-artery stroke. In multivariable analysis an elevated troponin was independently associated with ESUS (odds ratio 3.3; 95% confidence interval 1.2, 8.8). This result was unchanged after excluding patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation after discharge (odds ratio 3.4; 95% confidence interval 1.3, 9.1), and the association remained significant when troponin was considered a continuous variable (odds ratio for log[troponin], 1.4; 95% confidence interval 1.1, 1.7).

CONCLUSIONS: Elevations in cardiac troponin are more common in patients with ESUS than in those with noncardioembolic strokes.

DOI10.1161/JAHA.117.005905
Alternate JournalJ Am Heart Assoc
PubMed ID28939703
PubMed Central IDPMC5634259
Grant ListK23 NS091395 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States