• Assessment of Serum Troponin Levels and Their Clinical Correlates in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study from Ardabil, Iran
  • Alireza Mohebbi,1,* Hooman Ravaei,2
    1. Students Research Committee, School of Medical Sciences, Ardabil, Iran.
    2. Young Researchers and Elite Club, Ardabil Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ardabil, Iran. Ardabil, Iran.


  • Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a global health crisis, with significant systemic and cardiovascular complications. Elevated serum troponin, a sensitive biomarker of myocardial injury, has been increasingly reported in patients with COVID-19 and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate serum troponin levels at the time of admission and their relationship with demographic and clinical factors among hospitalized COVID-19 patients at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Ardabil.
  • Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 865 patients admitted to the COVID-19 ward between April and September. Data were extracted from electronic medical records using a structured checklist and analyzed with SPSS version 25. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to assess associations between serum troponin levels, comorbidities, and outcomes.
  • Results: Among the 865 patients, 465 (53.8%) were male and 400 (46.2%) female. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 31.6% (n=273). Mean serum troponin levels were significantly higher in deceased patients (0.93013 ng/mL) compared to survivors, and in patients with underlying comorbidities (0.45332 ng/mL) compared to those without. Female patients showed a mean troponin level of 0.60742 ng/mL. Elevated troponin levels were consistently associated with higher mortality and disease severity.
  • Conclusion: Our findings confirm that increased troponin levels on admission are strongly correlated with poor outcomes in COVID-19 patients, particularly those with pre-existing comorbidities. These results are in line with recent global evidence highlighting troponin as a critical prognostic biomarker in COVID-19. Early measurement of troponin may help in risk stratification, management, and timely intervention in hospitalized patients.
  • Keywords: Troponin, COVID-19, Myocardial injury.