Sex-related differences in non-ischemic myocardial injury in the emergency department: A real-world perspective.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial injury is associated with adverse outcomes. No data are reported about sex differences in incidence and factors associated with myocardial injury in an emergency department (ED) setting from a real-world perspective. We aimed to assess whether sex plays a major role in the diagnosis of myocardial injury in the ED. METHODS: In this subanalysis of a retrospective study, patients presenting at the ED with at least one high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) value and without acute coronary syndromes diagnosis were compared. RESULTS: 31,383 patients were admitted to the ED, 4660 had one hs-cTnT value, and 3937 were enrolled: 1943 females (49.4%) and 1994 males (50.6%). The diagnosis of myocardial injury was higher among men (36.8% vs. 32.9%, p < 0.01). Male sex was independently associated with myocardial injury. An older age, an elevated NT-proB-type Natriuretic Peptide and a lower estimated glomerular filtrate rate were independently associated with myocardial injury in both sexes. CONCLUSIONS: In the ED, from a real-world perspective, myocardial injury occurred more frequently in males, and it was associated with older age and the presence of cardiac, lung, and kidney disease but not higher hs-cTnT values.

High-Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin T and the Diagnosis of Cardiovascular Disease in the Emergency Room: The Importance of Combining Cardiovascular Biomarkers with Clinical Data.

Background. Nowadays, it is still not possible to clinically distinguish whether an increase in high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) values is due to myocardial injury or an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Moreover, predictive data regarding hs-cTnT in an emergency room (ER) setting are scarce. This monocentric retrospective study aimed to improve the knowledge and interpretation of this cardiac biomarker in daily clinical practice. Methods. Consecutive adult patients presenting at the ER and hospitalized with a first abnormal hs-cTnT value (≥14 ng/L) were enrolled for 6 months. The baseline hs-cTnT value and the ensuing changes and variations were correlated with the clinical presentation and the type of diagnosis. Subsequently, multivariable models were built to assess which clinical/laboratory variables most influenced hospital admissions in the investigated population analyzed according to the final reason for hospitalization: (1) cardiovascular vs. non-cardiovascular diagnosis, and (2) ACS vs. non-ACS one. Results. A total of 4660 patients were considered, and, after a first screening, 4149 patients were enrolled. Out of 4129 patients, 1555 (37.5%) had a first hs-cTnT ≥14 ng/L, and 1007 (65%) were hospitalized with the following types of diagnosis: ACS (182; 18%), non-ACS cardiovascular disease (337; 34%) and non-cardiovascular disease (487; 48%). Higher hs-cTnT values and significant hs-cTnT variations were found in the ACS group (p < 0.01). The mean percentage of variation was higher in patients with ACS, intermediate in those with non-ACS cardiovascular disease, and low in those with non-cardiovascular disease (407.5%, 270.6% and 12.4%, respectively). Only syncope and CRP (OR: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02−0.39, p < 0.01 and OR: 0.9988, 95% CI: 0.9979−0.9998, p = 0.02, respectively) or CRP (OR: 0.9948, 95% CI: 0.9908−0.9989, p = 0.01) and NT-proBNP (OR: 1.0002, 95% CI: 1.0000−1.0004, p = 0.02) were independent predictors of a cardiovascular disease diagnosis. On the other hand, only chest pain (OR: 22.91, 95% CI: 3.97−132.32, p < 0.01) and eGFR (OR: 1.04, 95% CI: 1.004−1.083, p = 0.03) were associated with the ACS diagnosis. Conclusions. Differently from the investigated biomarkers, in this study, only clinical variables predicted hospitalizations in different patients' subgroups.