Evaluation of the test

The evaluation should always be performed by medical personnel and at best under the supervision of a physician. Only then can accurate further treatment and the correct interpretation of the results be guaranteed. It is also important in the evaluation that troponin values after a heart attack – the main indication for the test – do not rise until 3-4 hours after the event.

Therefore, an intervention in the form of a cardiac catheter should not be waited until the results are available. It can take between 12 hours and 4 days for troponin levels to reach their temporary maximum after the infarction. Troponin levels are not affected by the time of day, physical activity or special eating habits. Troponin I/T measurement: Troponin T hs measurement *possibly heart muscle disease or beginning increase after myocardial infarction Alternatively, this article may be of interest to you: Blood test

Standard value: < 4 μg/L
Suspicious value*: 0.4 – 2.3 μg/L
Suspicion of heart attack: > 2.3 μg/L
Standard value: < 0.014 μg/L
Suspicious value*: 0.014 – 0.05 μg/L
Suspicion of a heart attack: > 0.05 μg/L

What does a troponin elevation mean?

The most common indication for a troponin test is a suspected heart attack. It has been found that troponin levels are associated with the degree of heart muscle damage. A particularly marked increase in troponin levels is therefore prognostically (considering the course of the disease) also very unfavorable.

In addition to acute myocardial infarction, other cardiac causes (affecting the heart) can also be underlying: inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), severe cardiac insufficiency, right-heart strain in the case of pulmonary embolism (also: pulmonary infarction), existing cardiac arrhythmia, cardiac trauma following injury or certain cardiomyopathies. Troponin elevations of non-cardiac origin can be caused by renal failure, stroke or particularly serious conditions (such as sepsis). Elevation of troponin is almost always associated with moderate to severe disease, and in such cases, medical attention should always be sought.

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In myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), the troponin level is elevated along with some other heart enzymes. Constant values between 0.4 μg/L and 2.3 μg/L indicate an inflammatory event rather than a heart attack. In addition to the increase in enzyme levels, ECG changes and signs of inflammation may also be indicative during imaging.

Only a troponin level elevated within the range of elevated troponin does not prove the presence of myocarditis. Many patients in whom the suspicion is confirmed report a previous infection. This course is classic for the development of myocarditis and should therefore be mentioned during a visit to the doctor.

A non-cardiac cause of elevated troponin levels is renal insufficiency. Troponin is excreted in the healthy body via the kidneys. When these can no longer function normally, troponin accumulates in the blood.

This slow increase can be measured in almost all patients with existing renal insufficiency. The higher the values, the more severe the kidney damage. The constantly elevated values may well hide an actual cardiac disease. Over 50% of patients with kidney disease die from such a disease. Therefore, the troponin value is also considered an important marker in the monitoring of renal insufficiency and dialysis patients.