Serum Troponin I levels among Hypertensive Military Service Personnel at a Military Health Facility in Abuja, Nigeria

Summary: Hypertension constitutes one of the major metabolic disease in Nigeria especially among military personnel and their families. Myocardial infarction and other cardiovascular diseases may occur in this group of patient due to uncontrolled or poorly controlled hypertension. The objective of this study was to determine serum cardiac Troponin I (cTnI), levels in hypertensive Nigerian Military service personnel attending clinic in a military Health facility. We measured the serum levels of cTnI in 126 hypertensive subjects [76 males (19-73 years) and 50 females (26-77years)] and 82 normotensive controls [41 males (19-60years) and 41 females (18-53years)] using Latex Enhanced Immunoturbidimetry technique. The data were compared between test and control group using Students’t-test. Serum cTnI was detected in the sample of 95(75.4%) subjects and was not detected in 31 (24.6%) subjects. Nine subjects (2.38%) had cTnI levels within the normal range(0.00-0.01ng/mL), 85 (67.5%) subjects had significantly higher (p<0.001) cTnI levels (0.100 ± 0.091 ng/ml; CL: 0.02 – 0.47ng/mL), while one (0.8%) subject had a cTnI value of 1.09 ng/mL. Nine (10.98%) control subjects had detectable cTnI levels (0.01ng/mL) while 73(89.02%) controls had a 0.00 ng/mL cTnI level. There was no significance difference in cTnI levels when subjects on chemotherapy were compared with newly diagnosed subjects (P = 0.0694). This study revealed that cTnI was detectable in the serum of majority of the study participants which may suggest sub-clinical cardiac necrosis. There may be risk of developing adverse cardiovascular disorders and the need for appropriate intensive management is emphasized.