Troponin I as a marker of cardiovascular risk: pathophysiological mechanisms and data from population studies

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide, so there is a great need for novel biomarkers that will identify individuals with high risk of cardiovascular events. One of the most promising markers in predicting cardiovascular outcomes is cardiac troponin I. The purpose of this review is to summarize recent data on pathophysiological mechanisms of troponin I release, gender, age and ethnic characteristics of basal level of troponin I, as well as prospects of troponin I for stratification of individual cardiovascular risk.