This is a test to assess if a person is currently experiencing a heart attack or had an ischemic episode recently. When you go to the emergency ward at the heart hospital with chest pain, blood samples will be drawn and the levels of cardiac enzymes checked two or three times over a period of several hours to ascertain if you are suffering from heart attack.
During a heart attack, the heart muscle gets damaged and this releases certain enzymes and proteins into the blood stream, like:-
Sometimes an ischemic attack or a silent heart attack may occur without any obvious outward symptoms. If it slides by unnoticed and untreated, it may lead to a stronger and more serious episode. By performing an ECG with a cardiac enzyme test, you can take precautions, medically, and by altering lifestyle and reducing risk factors for a coronary disease.
Usually the levels of the above enzymes and proteins in the body are so low as to be undetectable. If someone’s cardiac enzyme test comes back positive for these enzymes, they are likely to have had a heart attack or injury to the heart.
By doing a cardiac enzyme test, a heart doctor can first find out whether a heart attack has definitely occurred. They can also assess the level of damage caused by the heart attack. The more troponin that is found in the blood, the more damaged the heart generally is.
Sometimes, a cardiac enzyme test may come back normal if the test is performed too soon after an injury to the heart. Usually, your doctor will have the cardiac enzyme test repeated several hours later or even a couple of times to make certain of the result.
At Kauvery Hospital, with branches in Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Trichy, we strongly advise following your heart doctor’s recommendations. Have these tests implemented to ensure that you have not experienced any heart afflictions or to manage the condition before it becomes a serious concern. Our team of experts is committed to providing top-notch healthcare regardless of your location.
1. What is a cardiac enzyme test?
A cardiac enzyme test is a blood test that helps determine if someone is having or has recently had a heart attack by checking for specific enzymes and proteins released into the bloodstream during a heart attack.
2. Why should a cardiac enzyme test be taken?
It should be taken to detect heart damage. During a heart attack, heart muscle damage releases enzymes and proteins like creatine phosphokinase, myoglobin, and troponin into the blood.
3. What do elevated cardiac enzyme levels mean?
Elevated levels of cardiac enzymes and proteins indicate that a person has likely had a heart attack or heart injury. Higher levels, especially of troponin, suggest more significant heart damage.
4. How often are cardiac enzyme tests performed in an emergency?
In the emergency ward, blood samples are usually taken multiple times over several hours to monitor the levels of cardiac enzymes and confirm if a heart attack is occurring.
5. Can a cardiac enzyme test detect a silent heart attack?
Yes, it can. Silent heart attacks or ischemic episodes may occur without noticeable symptoms, but elevated enzyme levels in the test can reveal such events.
Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
Chennai – 044 4000 6000 • Trichy – Cantonment – 0431 4077777 • Trichy – Heartcity – 0431 4003500 • Trichy – Tennur – 0431 4022555 • Hosur – 04344 272727 • Salem – 0427 2677777 • Tirunelveli – 0462 4006000 • Bengaluru – 080 6801 6801
