Association between troponin T and impaired left ventricular relaxation in patients with acute decompensated heart failure with preserved systolic function.

Objective: To examine relationships between cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and parameters of left ventricular (LV) structure and function in patients with acute destabilized heart failure (HF) with preserved LV ejection fraction.

Results: In 44 patients with acute heart failure (HF) with preserved left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, parameters of LV structure and function were assessed via comprehensive two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography. There was no correlation between cTnT and LV wall thickness, left atrial volume index, or transmitral E wave velocity or deceleration time. There were associations between cTnT and LV end-diastolic dimension (r = -0.34, P = 0.02) and LV mass index (r = 0.32; P = .04). A lower tissue Doppler Ea wave peak velocity was associated with higher cTnT concentrations (r = -0.90, P < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, only LV end-diastolic dimension (t = 2.2; P = 0.04), LV mass index (t = 2.3; P = .03), and tissue Doppler Ea wave peak velocity (t = -4.7; P < .001) emerged as significant predictors of cTnT.

Conclusions: In patients with HF with preserved LV ejection fraction, cTnT is strongly associated with the extent of LV relaxation abnormalities and LV mass.