Has the role of troponin as a biomarker of cardiac complications after non-cardiac surgery been fully understood?

Abstract

Myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery is a major issue with a rate of almost 20%, as suggested by the literature. Guidelines recommend screening patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery who have at least one cardiovascular risk factor. Clinical trials are characterized by a high degree of heterogeneity. Myocardial injury definitions vary among studies, and multiple troponin assays with different cut-offs are utilized. Myocardial injury has a poorly understood pathophysiology. While some studies only include troponin elevations that are thought to be caused by ischemia, others do not. Troponin elevation can be a result of patient-related factors and comorbidities, including age, chronic renal failure, and inflammatory status. Currently, there is no effective strategy to prevent perioperative myocardial injury, and there are no therapeutic options that significantly improve the outcome of patients with myocardial injury. We have focused on this topic and on perioperative myocardial injury to highlight the areas of research that remain unexplored.