Baseline characteristics in the two study periods
| Conventional cTn N=699 | hs-cTn N=673 | p Value | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 65.8±12.6 | 67.9±13.0 | 0.002 |
| Male | 447 (64) | 455 (68) | 0.2 |
| Admission HF | 39 (5.6) | 47 (7) | 0.3 |
| ≥2 chest pain episodes in 24 h | 300 (43) | 308 (469) | 0.3 |
| Hypertension | 434 (62) | 480 (71) | 0.0001 |
| Current smokers | 172 (25) | 138 (21) | 0.07 |
| Hypercholesterolaemia | 355 (51) | 401 (60) | 0.001 |
| Diabetes | 224 (32) | 242 (36) | 0.2 |
| Family history | 45 (6.4) | 29 (4.3) | 0.09 |
| Prior myocardial infarction | 153 (22) | 166 (25) | 0.2 |
| Prior PCI | 74 (11) | 137 (20) | 0.0001 |
| Prior CABG | 43 (6) | 42 (6) | 1 |
| Prior admission HF | 38 (5.4) | 27 (4.0) | 0.3 |
| Peripheral artery disease | 47 (6.7) | 43 (6.4) | 0.8 |
| Prior stroke | 45 (6.4) | 47 (7.0) | 0.7 |
| ST-segment depression | 145 (21) | 119 (18) | 0.2 |
| T wave inversion | 78 (11) | 71 (11) | 0.9 |
| Creatine (mg/dl) | 1.09±0.6 | 1.1±0.7 | 0.7 |
Absolute values with percentages are shown in brackets, with the exception of age and creatine levels presented as mean±SD. CABG, coronary artery bypass surgery; cTn, troponin; HF, heart failure; hs-cTn, high-sensitivity troponin; PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention.