Prognostic implications of myocardial fibrosis and troponin levels measured by a highly sensitive assay in non-ischemic cardiomyopathy

Background Myocardial replacement fibrosis detected as late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) and elevated serum cardiac troponin T levels measured with highly sensitive assays (hs-cTnT) have separately been shown to be associated with subsequent heart failure events in patients with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICMP). Correlations between the two markers have also been reported, but limited data exist on the significance of elevated hscTnT levels and LGE presence in conjunction on heart failure events. We examined the association of these markers with heart failure outcomes in NICMP patients presenting to a tertiary center