BackgroundSoluble ST2 (sST2), a marker of myocyte stretch and fibrosis, has prognostic value in many cardiovascular diseases. We hypothesized that sST2 levels are associated with incident heart failure (HF), including subtypes of preserved (HFpEF) and reduced (HFrEF) ejection fraction, and cardiovascular death.Methods and ResultsBaseline serum sST2 was measured in 3915 older, community‐dwelling subjects from the Cardiovascular Health Study without prevalent HF. sST2 levels were associated with older age, male sex, black race, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, other biomarkers of inflammation, cardiac stretch, myocardial injury, and fibrosis, and abnormal echocardiographic parameters. In longitudinal analysis, greater sST2 was associated with a higher risk of incident HF and cardiovascular death; however, in multivariate models adjusting for other cardiac risk factors and the cardiac‐specific biomarker, N‐terminal pro–type B natriuretic peptide, these associations were attenuated. In these models, an sST2 level above the US Food and Drug Administration–approved cut‐off value (>35 ng/mL) was significantly associated with incident HF (hazard ratio [HR], 1.20; 95% CI, 1.02–1.43) and cardiovascular death (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.02–1.44), and greater sST2 was continuously associated with cardiovascular death (per 1‐ln increment: HR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.02–1.50). sST2 was not associated with the HF subtypes of HFpEF and HFrEF in adjusted analysis. Addition of sST2 to existing risk models of HF and cardiovascular death modestly improved discrimination and reclassification into a higher risk.ConclusionsThe predictive value of sST2 for HF of all subtypes and cardiovascular death is modest in an elderly population despite strong cross‐sectional associations with risk factors and underlying cardiac pathology.

No abstract

BACKGROUND:There is controversy regarding whether to report concentrations of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) to the limit of blank (LOB) (3 ng/L) or the limit of detection (LOD) (5 ng/L) of the assay in community-based cohorts. We hypothesized that hscTnT concentrations between the LOB and LOD would be associated with poorer cardiovascular outcomes compared to concentrations below the LOB.

Introduction: A substantial minority of asymptomatic individuals will have very low but measurable levels of cardiac troponin T using a high sensitive assay (hs-cTnT). It is controversial if levels in this range provide physiologic and prognostic information. We hypothesized that hs-cTnT levels between the limit of blank (LOB) (3 ng/L) and limit of detection (LOD) (5 ng/L) are associated with increased incidence of heart failure (HF) and cardiovascular death compared to levels below the LOB (<3 ng/L). Methods: hs-cTnT was measured in subjects without prevalent HF from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS), Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, and Dallas Heart Study (DHS). Participants were divided into two groups: levels below the LOB (n=7272) and levels between the LOB and LOD (n=3451). Cross sectional and longitudinal associations with demographics, traditional cardiovascular risk factors, and cardiovascular outcomes were made. A fixed-effect meta-analysis was performed using regression coefficients and variance estimates from fully adjusted models from all three cohorts. Results: Participants with hs-cTnT between the LOB and LOD were older, more likely to be male, and had higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and structural abnormalities such as higher coronary artery calcium score and left ventricular mass. A meta-analysis of the three cohorts showed participants with hs-cTnT between the LOB and LOD were at increased risk of new-onset HF (HR=1.18, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.38) and cardiovascular death (HR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.06, 1.57) after adjusting for demographics and traditional risk factors when compared to participants with hs-cTnT below the LOB (Figure). Conclusions: hs-cTnT levels between the LOB and LOD are associated with a higher prevalence of traditional risk factors, cardiac pathology, and worse outcomes compared with levels below the LOB. Therefore, in general population cohorts, hs-cTnT should be reported down to the LOB.

No abstract