title: The long-term impact of early cardiovascular therapy intensification for postoperative troponin elevation after major vascular surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Acute cardiac events are a frequent cause of morbidity after vascular surgery. The impact of early evidence-based treatment for patients with an acute cardiac event after vascular surgery on long-term postoperative outcomes has not been extensively studied. We hypothesized that providing appropriate evidence-based treatment to patients with elevated postoperative cardiac troponin levels may limit long-term mortality.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a study of 667 consecutive major vascular surgery patients with an elevated postoperative troponin I level. We then determined which of these patients received medical therapy as per the 2007 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association recommendations for the medical management of patients with chronic stable angina. All patients with troponin elevation were then matched with 2 control patients without postoperative troponin elevation. Matching was done using logistic regression and nearest-neighbor matching methods. The primary study end point was 12 months survival without a major cardiac event (i.e., death, myocardial infarction, coronary revascularization, or pulmonary edema requiring hospitalization).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Therapy was intensified in 43 of 66 patients (65%) who suffered a troponin I elevation after surgery. Patients with a troponin I elevation not receiving intensified cardiovascular treatment had a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.77 (95% confidence interval (CI), 1.13-2.42; P = 0.004) for the primary study outcome as compared with the control group. In contrast, patients with a troponin I elevation who received intensified cardiovascular treatment had an HR of 0.63 (95% CI, 0.10-1.19; P = 0.45) for the primary outcome as compared with the control group. Patients with a troponin I elevation not receiving treatment intensification likely were at higher risk for a major cardiac event (HR, 2.80; 95% CI, 1.05-24.2; P = 0.04) compared with patients who did receive treatment intensification.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The main finding of this study was that in patients with elevated troponin I levels after noncardiac surgery, long-term adverse cardiac outcomes may likely be improved by following evidence-based recommendations for the medical management of acute coronary syndromes.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, University Pierre et Marie-Curie-Paris 6, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France; †Hospital Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris, France; ‡Department of Anaesthesia, Perioperative Research Group, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermarizburg, South Africa; §The Perioperative Research Group, Population Health Research Institute, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ∥Biostatistical and Clinical Epidemiology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Nimes University Hospital, Montpellier 1 University, Montpellier, France; and ¶Departments of Anesthesia & Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Michael DeGroote School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University and Population Health Research Institute, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute, Perioperative Medicine and Surgical Research Unit, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foucrier
authors.forename: Reitze
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodseth
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aissaoui
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ibanes
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Goarin
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Landais
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Coriat
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Le Manach
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000628:therapy; D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D023381:Endpoint Determination; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019990:Perioperative Care; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014336:Troponin / Q000097:blood*; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D014336:Troponin