Familial History of Coronary Heart Disease and Increased Risk for Elevated Troponin in Apparently Healthy Individuals

Background: Family history of coronary heart disease (FH-CHD) is associated with an increased risk of subsequent CHD. High sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) is a recognized biomarker of myocyte injury even in CHD free patients. We examined the association between FH-CHD and hs-cTnT in a cohort of apparently healthy individuals.

Methods: This was a cross sectional study. We analyzed data of apparently healthy individuals (n=3,821) recruited for the Tel-Aviv Medical Center Inflammation Survey (TAMCIS). Blood samples were obtained for hs-cTnT and hs-C- reactive protein (CRP) among other tests. FH-CHD was defined as first degree family member with CHD diagnosis and classified as premature if the diagnosis was done before the age of 55 for men or 65 for women.

Results: Elevated hs-cTnT (>14 ng/L) was more common in FH-CHD and premature FH-CHD participants than in participants without FH-CHD (4.4% vs 2.0%, p3 mg/L) increased the risk for elevated hs-cTnT (OR=3.04, p=0.036).

Conclusions: FH-CHD and its interaction with elevated hs-CRP levels were significantly associated with elevated hs-cTnT in apparently healthy individuals suggesting that an inflammatory process may be involved in this association. A combined assessment of FH-CHD, hs-CRP and hs-cTnT could improve accuracy in prediction of future CHD events.