What Are Cardiac

Enzymes?
Why test for cardiac enzymes?
If your doctor suspects that you’re having a heart attack or that you may
have had one recently, you may be given a cardiac enzyme test. This test
measures the level of certain proteins circulating in your bloodstream.

Higher levels of these chemicals — known as biomarkers — are released

when the heart muscle is damaged.

The protein troponin T is the key biomarker measured in a cardiac enzyme

test. This biomarker helps let your doctor know when your heart has been
under stress. It can also reveal if your heart muscle isn’t getting enough
oxygen.

Keep reading to learn more about the testing process and what the results
may mean for you.

Do I need to prepare?
A cardiac enzyme test doesn’t require any preparation. You don’t have to
fast or stop taking certain medications.

In many cases, cardiac enzymes are measured in an emergency situation

when a person is suspected of having a heart attack. You or someone
close to you should tell your doctor about any medications and
supplements you take.
Your doctor should also know any other important medical information,
including:

 any previous heart disease or stroke history

 whether you have high blood pressure
 any recent surgeries or other procedures
 how long symptoms have been occurring

What to expect during the test

A blood test for cardiac enzymes is like a standard blood test. A small vial
or two of blood is filled through a needle inserted into your arm. There may
be a little pain when the needle is inserted.

Your doctor will assess your biomarker levels to confirm whether you’ve
had a heart attack and assess how much damage the heart muscle has
endured. They’ll often check them more than once to see if the levels are
changing.

In addition to checking your biomarkers, your doctor may also want to get
other information from your blood.

This includes your:

 cholesterol levels
 blood glucose (sugar) levels
 white and red blood cell count, as well as your platelet levels
 levels of electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium
 levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a hormone that can
indicate heart failure
Possible side effects and
complications
A cardiac enzyme test is a relatively simple and painless procedure. You
may have some minor bruising or temporary soreness at the site where the
needle is inserted to draw blood.

Be sure to tell the person drawing your blood if you have an allergy to latex
to avoid complications. Otherwise, the test is safe and mostly risk-free.

What do the results mean?

Test results of your cardiac enzymes can indicate whether it’s likely you
had a heart attack. For example, most healthy, young people have no
troponin T circulating in their bloodstream. The more damage the heart
muscle has suffered during a heart attack, the higher the levels of troponin
T circulating in your blood.

Cardiac troponin T is measured in nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). If your

troponin T level is above the 99th percentile for the test being used, your
doctor will likely diagnose a heart attack. Levels that start high and fall
suggest a recent injury to the heart. It could have been a mild heart attack.
You may not have even been aware of it.

Cardiac enzyme test results are usually available within an hour of the
blood sample being drawn.