Published September 25, 2009
If you have a heart attack, this unknown test could save your life
Heart attacks remain the number one killer of Americans. You can prevent heart attacks easily by reading and following the information you read in these pages. However, if you do get symptoms of a heart attack (chest pain, shortness of breath, feeling of dread, etc.), it’s vital your doctor know if what happened is really a heart attack.
When you go to the hospital thinking you’ve had a heart attack, you’ll go through multiple tests in the ER. These include EKG and cardiac enzymes. However, sometimes, even these tests are not enough. A new test is available that picks up “missed” heart attacks.
Troponin is a protein found in heart cells. If you have a heart attack it damages these cells. This damage causes them to leak out into your blood. There, your doctor can measure the protein in your blood. Use of this blood test could help doctors pick up an additional 25% of heart attacks missed by conventional EKG and blood tests.
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