Cardiac Biomarkers for the Prediction and Detection of Adverse Cardiac Events After Noncardiac Surgery: A Narrative Review

Prognostic value of biomarkers of ischaemia in patients with peripheral arterial disease following endovascular revascularisation

Background: Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic value of detectable high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) and ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) in predicting all-cause death or non-fatal ischaemic events in patients with PAD after endovascular revascularisation of the lower limbs. Patients and methods: Patients who underwent successful endovascular revascularisation for chronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) or disabling intermittent claudication (IC) were prospectively included. Pre-procedural levels of hs-cTnI and IMA were measured, and patients were followed for one year for the occurrence of the composite outcome of all-cause death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, new-onset angina, non-fatal ischaemic stroke, transient ischaemic attack, or progression of PAD. Outcomes were evaluated using survival analyses. Results: A total of 487 patients concluded the study, of whom 175 (35.9%) experienced the composite outcome. When considering only the clinical presentation of PAD and biomarker values, in patients with CLTI, hs-cTnI above the limit of detection (LoD) conferred an increased risk of the composite outcome compared to hs-cTnI below the LoD (p=0.004), while for IMA we found no significant difference. Outcomes of patients with CLTI and hs-cTnI or IMA below the LoD did not differ from those of patients with IC (p=0.07 and p=0.462, respectively). When adjusting for clinical characteristics and common cardiovascular risk factors in multivariate Cox survival analysis, neither biomarker improved prognostic performance, however IMA emerged as an independent predictor of the composite outcome in patients with CLTI. Conclusions: In patients with PAD who underwent successful endovascular procedure, neither IMA nor hs-cTnI improved risk stratification beyond clinical determinants. However, detection of IMA was an independent predictor of major cardiovascular events or death in patients with CLTI.

Association of preoperative blood biomarkers with postoperative major adverse cardiac events and mortality in major orthopaedic surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The association between preoperative blood biomarkers and major adverse cardiac events (MACEs) as well as mortality after major orthopaedic surgery remains unclear. This study aimed to assess the association between preoperative blood biomarkers and postoperative MACEs as well as all-cause mortality in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery.

DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception to 20 October 2024 were searched.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Observational or experimental studies reporting the correlation between preoperative blood biomarkers and postoperative MACEs-categorised as short-term (within 3 months) or long-term (beyond 3 months)-and all-cause mortality in patients undergoing major orthopaedic surgery.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Data from studies reporting OR or HR and its 95% CI were pooled for analysis using random-effects model.

RESULTS

21 preoperative blood-based biomarkers from 80 studies with 226 468 patients were analysed. Elevated preoperative cardiac biomarkers were correlated with a heightened risk of MACEs within 3 months (natriuretic peptide: OR 3.37, 95% CI 2.07 to 5.47, I2=87.9%; cardiac troponin: OR 4.89, 95% CI 1.52 to 15.75, I2=69.5%) with significant heterogeneity. Only natriuretic peptide was associated with a high-risk long-term MACEs (>3 months) (OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.73 to 7.17, I2=86.2%). In contrast, cardiac biomarkers were not identified as having prognostic value for all-cause mortality in this patient cohort. Additionally, an increased risk of all-cause mortality was associated with preoperative abnormal levels of albumin (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.24, I2=84.8%), creatinine (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.95, I2=0), 25(OH)D (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.01 to 2.14, I2=0) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.17, I2=0), rather than cardiac biomarkers.

CONCLUSIONS

The study proposed that cardiac biomarkers assessed before surgery could offer prognostic insight into short-term MACEs, while preoperative abnormal levels of albumin, creatinine, 25 (OH)D and GFR might be prognostic valuable for all-cause mortality following major orthopaedic surgery.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42022352091.

Association and predictive ability between significant perioperative cardiovascular adverse events and stress glucose rise in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery

BACKGROUND

The predictive importance of the stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR), which is composed of admission blood glucose (ABG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), has not been fully established in noncardiac surgery. This study aims to evaluate the association and predictive capability the SHR for major perioperative adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) in noncardiac surgery patients.

METHODS

Individuals who underwent noncardiac surgical procedures between 2011 and 2020, including both diabetic and non-diabetic patients, were identified in the perioperative medicine database (INSPIRE 1.1) and classified into tertiles based on their SHR. The connection between the SHR and the risk of MACEs was studied using Cox proportional hazards regression analysis, then restricted cubic spline (RCS) was employed to assess the association's form. Additionally, the SHR's incremental predictive utility for MACEs was assessed by the C-statistic, continuous net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI), thereby quantifying the enhancement in predictive accuracy brought by incorporating the SHR into existing risk models. Feature importance and predictive models were generated utilizing the Boruta algorithm and machine learning approaches.

RESULTS

A total of 5609 patients were enrolled. With an upwards shift in SHR vertices, the rate of perioperative MACEs and cardiac death event steadily rose. The RCS analysis for perioperative MACEs and cardiac death event both indicated J-shaped associations. Inflection points occurred at SHR = 0.81 for MACEs and SHR = 0.97 for cardiac death. The model's fit improved significantly, with a continuous NRI of 0.067 (95% CI: 0.025-0.137, P < 0.001) and an IDI of 0.305 (95% CI: 0.155-0.430, P < 0.001). When SHR was added as a categorical variable (> 0.81), the C-statistic increased to 0.785 (95% CI: 0.756-0.814) with a ΔC-statistic of 0.035 (P = 0.009), a continuous NRI of 0.007 (95% CI: 0.000-0.021, P = 0.016), and an IDI of 0.076 (95% CI -0.024-0.142, P = 0.092). In the Boruta algorithm, variables identified as important features in the green area were incorporated into the machine learning models development.

CONCLUSIONS

The SHR was related with an increased risk of perioperative MACEs in patients following noncardiac surgery, highlighting its potential as a useful and reliable predictive tool for assessing the risk of perioperative MACEs.

Prediction of Acute Myocardial Injury in Noncardiac Surgery in Patients at Risk for Major Adverse Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Events: A Multivariable Risk Model

BACKGROUND

The best use of perioperative cardiac biomarkers assessment is still under discussion. Massive postoperative troponin surveillance can result in untenably high workloads and costs for health care systems and potentially harmful interventions for patients. In a cohort of patients at risk for major adverse cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), we aimed to (1) determine whether preoperative biomarkers can identify patients at major risk for acute myocardial injury in noncardiac surgery, (2) develop a risk model for acute myocardial injury prediction, and (3) propose an algorithm to optimize postoperative troponin surveillance.

METHODS

Prospective, single-center cohort study enrolling consecutive adult patients (≥45 years) at risk for MACCE scheduled for intermediate-to-high-risk noncardiac surgery. Baseline high-sensitivity troponin T (hsTnT) and N-terminal fragment of pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), as well as hsTnT on the first 3 postoperative days were obtained. The main outcome was the occurrence of acute myocardial injury. Candidate predictors of acute myocardial injury were baseline concentrations of hsTnT ≥14 ng/L and NT-proBNP ≥300 pg/mL and preoperative and intraoperative variables. A multivariable risk model and a decision curve were constructed.

RESULTS

Of 732 patients, 42.1% had elevated hsTnT and 37.3% had elevated NT-proBNP levels at baseline. Acute myocardial injury occurred in 161 patients (22%). Elevated baseline hsTnT, found in 84% of patients with acute myocardial injury, was strongly associated with this outcome: odds ratio (OR), 12.08 (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.78-19.42). Logistic regression identified 6 other independent predictors for acute myocardial injury: age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) <45 mL·min -1 ·1.73 m -2 , functional capacity <4 METs or unknown, NT-proBNP ≥300 pg/mL, and estimated intraoperative blood loss. The c -statistic for the risk model was 77% (95% CI, 0.73-0.81). The net benefit of the model began at a risk threshold of 7%.

CONCLUSIONS

Baseline determination of cardiac biomarkers in patients at risk for MACCE shortly before intermediate- or high-risk noncardiac surgery helps identify those with the highest risk for acute myocardial injury. A baseline hsTnT ≥14 ng/L indicates the need for postoperative troponin surveillance. In patients with baseline hsTnT <14 ng/L, our 6-predictor model will identify additional patients at risk for acute myocardial injury who may also benefit from postoperative surveillance.

High-sensitivity troponin T levels before and after cardiac surgery and the 30-day mortality: a retrospective cohort study

Background

The suggested threshold level of cardiac troponin T elevation after cardiac surgery is not very clear, and the values recommended by various guidelines and literature reports are quite different.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, we collected clinical data of patients who underwent heart surgery at Tsinghua University First Hospital between January 2015 and December 2022. Using the high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T levels (reference upper limit: 14 ng/L) measured at 1-3 days postoperation, the relationship between the cardiac troponin T level and the 30-day mortality risk was evaluated using Cox regression analysis.

Results

Among the 3,128 patients included in this study, the types of operations mainly consisted of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG, 1,164, 37.2%), aortic valve replacement (AVR, 735, 23.5%), and other cardiac operations (1,229, 39.3%). Within 30 days postoperation, 57 patients (1.8%) died and 72 patients (2.3%) developed major vascular complications. In patients undergoing CABG or AVR, the cardiac troponin T threshold level measured within one day postoperation related to an increased 30-day mortality was determined to be 3,012 ng/L (95% CI: 1,435-3,578 ng/L), which is 218 times higher than the reference upper limit. In patients undergoing other cardiac operations, this threshold was 5,876 ng/L (95% CI: 2,458-8,119 ng/L), which is 420 times higher than the reference upper limit.

Conclusion

The high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T level associated with an increased 30-day mortality risk after cardiac surgery is significantly higher than the current recommendations for defining clinically important perioperative myocardial injury.

Cardiovascular Biomarkers: Current Status and Future Directions

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a global health concern of paramount significance, claiming millions of lives each year [...].

Perioperative myocardial injury is associated with increased postoperative non-cardiac complications in patients undergoing vascular surgery: a post hoc analysis of a randomised clinical pilot trial

BACKGROUND

Elevated cardiac biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin T and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide improve the prediction of major adverse cardiac events. However, very few trials have investigated the association between perioperative cardiac injury and non-cardiac complications. The primary aim of this study was to determine the association between peri-operative myocardial injury and non-cardiac complications in patients undergoing vascular surgery. Additionally, the association between elevated pre-operative high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin T or N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and non-cardiac complications was explored.

METHODS

This study is a post hoc analysis of a multicentre randomised controlled trial. Patients were recruited from three centres in Sweden between 2016 and 2019. Cardiac troponin level was measured pre-operatively and at 4, 24, and 48 h after the start of surgery in patients undergoing vascular surgery. N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide was measured pre-operatively. The primary outcome was a composite of major postoperative non-cardiac complications assessed at 30 days.

RESULTS

A total of 184 patients undergoing peripheral or aortic vascular surgery were included in this study. The primary endpoint occurred in 67 (36%) patients. Perioperative myocardial injury was significantly associated with non-cardiac complications, with an adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 2.71 (95% confidence interval 1.33-5.55, P = 0.01). Sensitivity and specificity were 0.40 and 0.81, respectively. No association was found between pre-operative hs-cTnT or NT-proBNP and non-cardiac complications.

CONCLUSION

In this pilot study, we found that new peri-operative myocardial injury is associated with an increased risk of non-cardiac complications within 30 days after index surgery in patients undergoing vascular surgery. Pre-operative high-sensitivity cardiac Troponin T or N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide did not appear to predict non-cardiac complications. Larger studies are needed to confirm our findings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

EudraCT database: 2016-001584-36.

Blood volume in patients likely to be preload responsive: a post hoc analysis of a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Preload responsive postoperative patients with signs of inadequate organ perfusion are commonly assumed to be hypovolemic and therefore treated with fluids to increase preload. However, preload is influenced not only by blood volume, but also by venous vascular tone and the contribution of these factors to preload responsiveness in this setting is unknown. Based on this, the objective of this study was to investigate blood volume status in preload-responsive postoperative patients.

METHODS

Data from a clinical trial including postoperative patients after major abdominal surgery were analyzed. Patients with signs of inadequate organ perfusion and with data from a passive leg raising test (PLR) were included. An increase in pulse pressure by ≥ 9% was used to identify patients likely to be preload responsive. Blood volume was calculated from plasma volume measured using radiolabelled albumin and hematocrit. Patients with a blood volume of at least 10% above or below estimated normal volume were considered hyper- and hypovolemic, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 63 patients were included in the study. Median (IQR) blood volume in the total was 57 (50-65) ml/kg, and change in pulse pressure after PLR was 14 (7-24)%. A total of 43 patients were preload responsive. Of these patients, 44% were hypovolemic, 28% euvolemic and 28% hypervolemic.

CONCLUSIONS

A large fraction of postoperative patients with signs of hypoperfusion that are likely to be preload responsive, are hypervolemic. In these patients, treatments other than fluid administration may be a more rational approach to increase cardiac output. Trial registration EudraCT 2013-004446-42.

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing and Other Tests of Functional Capacity

Purpose of Review

Assessment of functional capacity is a cornerstone of preoperative risk assessment. While subjective clinician assessment of functional capacity is poorly predictive of postoperative outcomes, other objective functional assessment measures may provide more useful information.

Recent Findings

Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) is generally accepted as the gold standard for functional capacity assessment. However, CPET is resource-intensive and not universally available. Simpler objective tests of functional capacity such as the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) and the 6-min walk test (6MWT) are cheap and efficient. In addition, they predict important postoperative outcomes including death, disability, and myocardial infarction.

Summary

Simple preoperative tests such as the DASI may be useful for routine preoperative assessment. CPET may be helpful to investigate further patients with functional status limitation, and to guide prehabilitation and perioperative shared decision-making in high-risk patients.

Fibrinogen-Albumin-Ratio is an independent predictor of thromboembolic complications in patients undergoing VA-ECMO

Veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) supports patients suffering from refractory cardiogenic shock. Thromboembolic complications (TeC) are common in VA-ECMO patients and are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Valid markers to predict TeC in VA-ECMO patients are lacking. The present study investigated the predictive value of baseline Fibrinogen-Albumin-Ratio (FAR) for in-hospital TeC in patients undergoing VA-ECMO. This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent VA-ECMO therapy due to cardiogenic shock at the University Hospital Duesseldorf, Germany between 2011 and 2018. Main exposure was baseline FAR measured at initiation of VA-ECMO therapy. The primary endpoint was the in-hospital incidence of TeC. In total, 344 patients were included into analysis (74.7% male, mean age 59 ± 14 years). The in-hospital incidence of TeC was 34%. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve of FAR for in-hospital TeC revealed an area under the curve of 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61-0.74]. Youden index determined a cutoff of 130 for baseline FAR. Multivariate logistic regression revealed an adjusted odds-ratio of 3.72 [95% CI 2.26-6.14] for the association between FAR and TeC. Baseline FAR is independently associated with in-hospital TeC in patients undergoing VA-ECMO. Thus, FAR might contribute to the prediction of TeC in this cohort.

[Cardiac biomarkers in noncardiac surgery patients : Review of cardiac biomarkers for risk stratification and detection of postoperative adverse cardiac events]

BACKGROUND

Yearly, more than 200 million people worldwide undergo noncardiac surgery of whom about 5% will suffer adverse cardiac events. Therefore, risk stratification and early detection of these events is crucial.

OBJECTIVES

The goal of this review is to summarize the currently available evidence on the role of biomarkers in perioperative cardiac risk assessment. It presents current data of the established biomarkers troponin and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and it also reports on new biomarkers that are still under evaluation, e.g. copeptin (a marker of neurohumoral activation) and presepsin (an inflammation marker).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Narrative review.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

According to currently available data, there is a strong association between preoperative troponin or BNP values and postoperative adverse cardiac events and mortality. However, to date, there is only a weak recommendation for routine measurement of these biomarkers even in high-risk patients because the evidence on outcome improvement is still very limited. The evidence on treatment options in case of increased postoperative troponin values is also scarce so that international guidelines come to different conclusions regarding postoperative measurement of toponin. Meanwhile, several new biomarkers are under evaluation.