Lung function deterioration predicts elevated troponin levels in apparently healthy individuals throughout a 5-year follow-up

Background: Lung function is inversely associated with coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. High-sensitive cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) was recently found to represent early subclinical cardiac disease even in healthy individuals. We explored the inter-relationship between lung function and hs-cTnT and the changes over time in these two measurements. Methods: Lung function test and hs-cTnT were determined in apparently healthy individuals from the Tel Aviv Medical Center Inflammatory Survey. Participants with normal lung function were followed up for 5 years in order to evaluate the effect of lung function deterioration on hs-cTnT levels. The correlation between annual Forced vital capacity (FVC) % predicted decline and hs-cTnT levels were analyzed. Results: A 5-year follow-up of 2,618 participants with normal lung function at baseline revealed a mean annual FVC deterioration of 31.9 (±91.3) ml/year. Lung function decline >5% was associated with an increased risk of having hs-cTnT >5 ng/L (Exp. β = 1.55 1.20–1.99, p = 0.001). Delta FVC between two consecutive visits was inversely correlated with an increase of hs-cTnT (r = −0.24, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Deterioration of lung function predicts elevated troponin levels and may be a sign of early subclinical cardiac disease.