RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether elevated levels of troponin T are associated with altered lipid profile. METHODS: Data were collected from 205 patients each of whom presented elevated troponin T levels. RESULTS: 195 patients presented with suspected myocardial infarction, 10 patients did not. Of which 68 had medium, 107 high and 20 presented with very high troponin T levels. The proportions were significantly different (p = 0.000215). Regression analysis showed that troponin T level was a useful quadratic predictor of total cholesterol (p = 0.000), triglycerides (p = 0.003), and low density cholesterol (p = 0.000); and a useful linear predictor of TC/HC ratio (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of myocardial infarction is associated with elevated troponin T levels; troponin T is positively correlated with total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL and TC/HC ratio and negatively correlated with HDL. TC/HC ratio was not found to be a useful predictor of the likelihood of MI.