Potential Benefits And Dangers of New Troponin Tests

–What does it mean when 80% of people have detectable levels without CVD? As many as four out of five people without known heart disease will have detectable levels of cardiac troponins with the new high-sensitivity tests, according to a new meta-analysis. Even very low levels within the normal range indicated increased cardiovascular risk, but…

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Beyond Kickbacks: More Questions About Unnecessary Cardiovascular Tests

On the front page of the Wall Street Journal today is an important story about a fast-growing company accused of giving kickbacks to physicians who order the company’s tests measuring a wide variety of cardiovascular biomarker tests. But the article leaves one major question unasked: even if the company played fully by the rules, are most of the tests medically…

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High-Sensitivity Troponin Test Could Identify Low Risk Chest Pain Patients In The ED

Approximately 15-20 million people in Europe and the United States go to the emergency department every year with chest pain. Many can be discharged early if they are not having an acute coronary syndrome. A large new single-center observational study, presented at the American College of Cardiology meeting in Washington, DC and published simultaneously in the Journal…

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