Preprocedural but not periprocedural high-sensitive Troponin T levels predict outcome in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Aim: Risk assessment of patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) remains difficult. Biomarkers have been shown to provide potential prognostic information. Here, we aimed to analyze whether the biomarker high-sensitivity Troponin T (hsTNT) could be used to improve risk stratification.

Method: We prospectively enrolled 267 patients undergoing TAVI. Biomarkers (hsTNT and NTproBNP) were measured 1 day before, and 3 and 7 days postprocedure. All possible prognostic factors upon survival time were analyzed by Cox regression analysis.

Results: A total of 259 patients (mean age 82±6.1 years) were available for complete follow-up. The median Logistic EuroSCORE (Log ES) and Log ES II were 21.16% (Q1=13.92; Q3=34.27) and 6.42% (Q1=3.89; Q3=11.07), respectively. Median follow-up was 290 (Q1=88; Q3=529) days. A total of 71 deaths occurred during follow-up, and the 30-day mortality was 5.8%. Median baseline hsTNT was 27.4 pg/mL (Q1=16.2; Q3=46 pg/mL). From all potential mortality-associated factors, only preprocedural hsTNT level (P=.001), elevated Log ES (P=.03) as well as acute kidney injury (P<.001) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (P=.039) emerged as independent prognostic parameters for adverse outcome. We also tested whether the Valve Academic Research Consortium-2 (VARC-II) cutoff for myocardial damage (hsTNT peak value exceeding 15× the upper reference limit + at least 50% increase) was of prognostic relevance. At 72-hours post-TAVI, 36.2% of the patients matched these VARC-II criteria of myocardial damage. However, these patients did not display a difference in survival compared to patients without significant myocardial injury.

Conclusion: Elevated preprocedural hsTNT represents an independent risk predictor of all-cause death while periprocedural hsTNT elevation failed to show prognostic relevance.