High-Sensitivity Troponin I, C - reactive protein, and Hypercholesterolemia as Predictors of Acute Cardiovascular Events in Morocco

Abstract

The prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is steadily rising in Morocco and across North Africa, largely linked to dyslipidemia and persistent inflammatory states. This study was conducted to evaluate lipid profiles alongside High-Sensitivity Troponin I (hs-cTnI) and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels. A cohort of 240 healthy individuals served as controls, compared with 351 patients diagnosed with acute CVD. Patients exhibited significantly higher levels of LDL-C (1.48 ± 0.45 g/L vs. 1.14 ± 0.24 g/L), hs-cTnI (10.2 ± 5.3 ng/mL vs. 3.1 ± 1.8 ng/mL), and CRP (9.8 ± 7.9 mg/L vs. 2.4 ± 1.6 mg/L), with all differences reaching statistical significance (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified LDL-C, hs-cTnI, and CRP as independent predictors of acute CVD, with odds ratios (OR) of 1.82 (95% CI: 1.45-2.29), 1.06 (95\% CI: 1.03-1.09), and 1.12 (95\% CI: 1.04-1.21), respectively Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that hs-cTnI had moderate discriminative ability (AUC = 0.70), whereas CRP displayed limited predictive performance (AUC = 0.62). These findings suggest that hs-cTnI, and to a lesser extent CRP, may enhance risk stratification for acute CVD in Moroccan populations, highlighting the need for biomarker-guided protocols that are both effective and resource-conscious in clinical practice.