NPPB and atherosclerosis: Patients with CE showed significantly elevated levels of 11 out of 15 biomarkers compared to those without, including all markers of myocardial ischemia/necrosis (p<0.001 for CK, CK-MB, H-FABP, myoglobin, c-cTnT, and hs-cTnT), 3 out of 4 inflammatory markers (p<0.03 for hs-CRP, MPO, and MRP 8/14), and PAPP-A, a marker of atherosclerosis (p<0.0001), as well as NT-proBNP (p = 0.04).