About-Cardio
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We provide our users the most up-to-date and accurate information on the treatment and prevention of cardio pathologies in accordance with current American and European clinical guidelines.
The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult a licensed physician for diagnosis and treatment.
Cardiac Biomarkers: What You Need to Know
Introduction
Cardiac biomarkers are substances released into the bloodstream when the heart is damaged or under stress. They help doctors diagnose and manage heart conditions, particularly heart attacks (myocardial infarctions).
Key Cardiac Biomarkers
1. Troponins (Troponin I and Troponin T)
- The most specific and sensitive markers for heart muscle damage.
- Levels rise within 3-6 hours after a heart attack and remain elevated for up to 10-14 days.
- High-sensitivity troponins (hs-Tn) allow for early detection of heart injuries.
2. Creatine Kinase-MB (CK-MB)
- Less specific than troponins but useful in certain cases.
- Rises 3-6 hours after an infarction and normalizes within 2-3 days.
- Used to detect repeated infarctions.
3. Myoglobin
- An early but non-specific marker.
- Rises within 1-2 hours, peaks at 6-8 hours, and returns to normal in 24 hours.
4. B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) and N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP)
- Used to assess heart failure rather than heart attacks.
- Helps differentiate between heart failure and other causes of shortness of breath.
Clinical Applications
- Heart attack diagnosis: Troponins remain the gold standard.
- Heart failure assessment: BNP and NT-proBNP are used.
- Monitoring heart conditions: Biomarkers help track disease progression.
Important Considerations
Biomarker levels may be affected by kidney disease, sepsis, and chronic conditions. Therefore, they must always be interpreted alongside clinical symptoms, ECG findings, and other tests.
Conclusion
Understanding cardiac biomarkers helps in quicker and more accurate diagnosis and management of heart diseases. If you have symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, or fatigue, consult a doctor immediately.
Source recommendations
1. American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines on Myocardial Infarction
- https://www.acc.org/Guidelines
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/01.cir.94.9.2341
- https://www.acc.org/
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/cir.0000000000001030
- https://professional.heart.org/en/guidelines-statements
2. European Society of Cardiology Guidelines on Acute Coronary Syndromes
- https://www.escardio.org/Guidelines/Clinical-Practice-Guidelines/Acute-Coronary-Syndromes-ACS-Guidelines
- https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/44/38/3720/7243210
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37622654/
- https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/42/14/1289/5898842
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32860058/
3. American Heart Association Guidelines on Heart Failure
- https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001063
- https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure
- https://professional.heart.org/en/guidelines-and-statements
- https://www.heart.org/en/professional/quality-improvement/get-with-the-guidelines/get-with-the-guidelines-heart-failure
- https://professional.heart.org/en/science-news/-/media/832EA0F4E73948848612F228F7FA2D35.ashx
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If you or your loved ones experience any of these symptoms, you should consult a doctor in time. Remember that self-medication can be dangerous, and timely diagnosis will preserve the quality and life expectancy.
The heart is an organ that does not know how to "keep silent" if something goes wrong. Chest pain, shortness of breath, swelling, dizziness, and rhythm disturbances are the symptoms that require our attention. The best prevention of heart disease is careful attention to your health, regular checkups with a doctor, and a healthy lifestyle. Take care of your heart, and it will serve you for many years!
Our advantages:
Best practices from USA, EU and Japan
Our answers to your questions are based on the clinical recommendations of countries with the most developed healthcare systems in the field of cardiology in the USA, the EU and Japan.
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On a daily basis, we monitor for you all new scientific research publications in leading scientific journals on medical issues of interest to you.
We monitor all innovations and changes in the field of cardiac disease treatment on a daily basis.
We monitor all innovations and changes in the field of cardiac disease treatment on a daily basis.
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Every 3-5 years, half of the scientific approaches to treatment in the field of cardiology are reviewed as a result of specialized scientific discoveries. With us, you don't have to wait these years to learn about the best ways to treat you and your loved ones.