The Wait for High-Sensitivity Troponin Is Over—Proceed Cautiously
Korley FK

KEYWORDS
Acute Coronary Syndromes; Cardiology Emergency Medicine; Research Methods; Statistics; Ischemic Heart Disease

Since high-sensitivity troponin (hsTn) assays became available for clinical use in Europe in 2010, clinicians in the United States have been waiting eagerly for US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. It is finally here. High-sensitivity troponin assays hold promise for earlier diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI), a decrease in the time required to rule out MI, a reduction in sex bias in the diagnosis of MI, and an improvement in the diagnosis of cardiac injury in noncardiac conditions, among other effects. It may also result in a redefinition of the concept of unstable angina. In this issue of JAMA Cardiology, Peacock et al report findings from the first study of the diagnostic accuracy of the FDA-approved high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) assay in patients in US emergency departments who were evaluated for suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The authors deserve commendation for rigorously conducting a timely study that provides crucial data that will inform strategies for implementing hsTn in the United States. This rigorously implemented multicenter observational study generated important findings that may excite enthusiasts while making skeptics cautious.