Cardiac troponin and COVID‐19 severity: Results from BIOCOVID study

Abstract

Background

Myocardial injury is a common finding in COVID‐19 strongly associated with severity. We analysed the prevalence and prognostic utility of myocardial injury, characterized by elevated cardiac troponin, in a large population of COVID‐19 patients, and further evaluated separately the role of troponin T and I.

Methods

This is a multicentre, retrospective observational study enrolling patients with laboratory‐confirmed COVID‐19 who were hospitalized in 32 Spanish hospitals. Elevated troponin levels were defined as values above the sex‐specific 99th percentile upper reference limit, as recommended by international guidelines. Thirty‐day mortality was defined as endpoint.

Results

A total of 1280 COVID‐19 patients were included in this study, of whom 187 (14.6%) died during the hospitalization. Using a nonspecific sex cut‐off, elevated troponin levels were found in 344 patients (26.9%), increasing to 384 (30.0%) when a sex‐specific cut‐off was used. This prevalence was significantly higher (42.9% vs 21.9%; P < .001) in patients in whom troponin T was measured in comparison with troponin I. Sex‐specific elevated troponin levels were significantly associated with 30‐day mortality, with adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 3.00 for total population, 3.20 for cardiac troponin T and 3.69 for cardiac troponin I.

Conclusion

In this multicentre study, myocardial injury was a common finding in COVID‐19 patients. Its prevalence increased when a sex‐specific cut‐off and cardiac troponin T were used. Elevated troponin was an independent predictor of 30‐day mortality, irrespective of cardiac troponin assay and cut‐offs to detect myocardial injury. Hence, the early measurement of cardiac troponin may be useful for risk stratification in COVID‐19.