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

AIMS 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. METHODS AND 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. CONCLUSION In patients with HF with preserved LV ejection fraction, cTnT is strongly associated with the extent of LV relaxation abnormalities and LV mass.