Is a Pattern of Increasing Biomarker Concentrations Important for Long-Term Risk Stratification in Acute Coronary Syndrome Patients Presenting Early after the Onset of Symptoms?

BACKGROUND: Guidelines for treatment of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) recommend observing a rise or fall in cardiac troponin (cTn) concentrations for assessing acute injury. It is unknown whether a rising pattern presages a more adverse long-term prognosis than elevations that do not change. The present study assessed whether a rising pattern of cardiac biomarkers was more prognostic than simple elevations. METHODS: We measured N-terminal …