Cardiac biomarkers for assessment of acute coronary syndrome <b>[Abstract in English]<\b>

Abstract

Aims: To address the use of cardiac biomarkers associated with necrosis, inflammation, plaque destabilization, and cardiac ischemia in the evaluation of acute coronary syndrome in order to provide a better understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the clinical use of these biomarkers. Source of data: Scientific original and review articles from the PubMed and SciELO databases. Summary of findings: Cardiovascular diseases, especially acute coronary syndrome, are the leading cause of mortality in Brazil and worldwide, and its continued growth is one of public health issues most relevant today. In this sense, the cardiac biomarkers are key to the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, and the cardiac troponins are still considered the gold standard for its diagnosis. With the recent development of ultra-sensitive methods for measuring cardiac troponins, it has been possible to detect heart damage within two hours, substantially improving the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. Other biomarkers have been showing relevance, especially in relation to prognosis and risk stratification of patients with ischemic heart disease. Conclusions: Several biomarkers have shown efficacy in the detection of necrosis, ischemia, inflammation, plaque destabilization and cardiac dysfunction. However, cardiac troponins are still considered the gold standard for diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.