Study Shows Improved Patient Management and Outcome Using Abbott's Sensitive Troponin Assay

Research presented this week at the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry Congress and Laboratory Medicine showed that using a lower diagnostic threshold for troponin improves clinical outcomes and patient survival in patients with suspected acute coronary syndromes. Troponin is a protein found inside of heart cells that is released when they are damaged by ischemia or reduced blood supply. Cardiac troponin is regarded by clinicians as one of the most specific biochemical markers for myocardial tissue injury, and the latest generation of more sensitive assays can identify patients with very small heart attacks. By improving the ability to accurately triage patients presenting with chest pain, the use of sensitive troponin assays could provide physicians with important information to help reduce patient deaths.