Editorial Commentary


Is one cardiac troponin better than the other?

Giuseppe Lippi, Gianfranco Cervellin

Abstract

According to the fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction (1), which has been subscribed or endorsed by the vast majority of cardiology associations and organizations worldwide, an ischemic myocardial injury shall now be diagnosed in the presence of a rise and/or a fall of cardiac troponins value, with at least one measurement exceeding the 99th percentile of the upper reference limit (URL), and accompanied by at least: (I) symptoms of myocardial ischemia; (II) newly developed ischemic electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities (including Q waves); (III) evidence of newly onset loss of viable myocardium or regional wall motion abnormalities in a pattern suggestive for ischemia; and (IV) detection of intracoronary thrombi during angiographic assessment or autopsy.

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