Effect of age and gender differences on high-sensitive troponin T measurement in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction

Background: Cardiac troponins are the recommended markers for the detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). There is a controversy regarding their decision limits. In this study, our objective was to reveal the cut-off values of high-sensitive troponin T (hsTnT) for AMI diagnosis in our population and to examine the effect of age and gender on hsTnT cut-off values. Methods: Patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) with chest pain were selected, and only those patients admitted during the first 3-6 h of symptom onset were included in the study. Results: A total of 484 men and 182 women were included. A total of 355 (279 men/76 women) patients were diagnosed with AMI. The cut-off values of hsTnT were found to be 17 ng/L and 16 ng/L, for males and females, respectively. The cut-off values of hsTnT were detected to be significantly higher in men over 40 years of age (24 ng/L) than in men less than 40 years of age (10 ng/L). Conclusions: The cut-off value for the hsTnT test for AMI was slightly lower in females than in males. The cut-off levels of hsTnT for the diagnosis of AMI were found to be significantly higher in men over 40 years of age than in men less than 40 years of age. © 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH