High-sensitivity cardiac troponin I and prevalence of obstructive coronary artery disease in patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

Current methods to assess patients with chest pain involve blood tests to measure troponin, a protein released into the bloodstream when the heart muscle is damaged. In the United Kingdom, most of these patients will be discharged from hospital without any further tests or treatment if their troponin test rules out a heart attack, even though evidence suggest some of these patients may be at risk of future heart attacks. We wish to determine if a newer, more sensitive troponin test would identify those with unrecognised coronary heart disease who may benefit from further testing and preventative treatment.