Associations of Cardiac Biomarkers With Peripheral Artery Disease and Peripheral Neuropathy in US Adults Without Prevalent Cardiovascular Disease

NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide), high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-troponin T), and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-troponin I) are increasingly being recommended for risk stratification for a variety of cardiovascular outcomes. The aims of our study were to establish the prevalence and associations of elevated NT-proBNP, hs-troponin T, and hs-troponin I with lower extremity disease, including peripheral artery disease (PAD) and peripheral neuropathy (PN), in the US general adult population without known cardiovascular disease. We also assessed whether the combination of PAD or PN and elevated cardiac biomarkers was associated with an increased risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.