Burning in the chest, nausea and shortness of breath are typical symptoms of myocardial infarction. One of the most common causes of death in Russia remains a heart attack. Recent studies have examined the rapid troponin test. Scientists have concluded that it is suitable for the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction.
What can a 1-hour troponin test do?
Myocardial infarction is the main cause of death in Russia. About 100,000 people die every year from diseases of the cardiovascular system. 440,000 patients are admitted to the hospital each year with a heart attack. There are a large number of unreported cases, because not all patients know that they had a heart attack.
Other patients mistakenly think they have a heart attack, but this is not always the case. The symptoms are not always clear. A new rapid test should provide faster and safer detection of a heart attack. Timely and proper treatment helps save a person's life.
With the support of fund organizations, scientists have successfully tested a new research method called the 1-hour troponin test. The analysis has already been used to diagnose a heart attack in 1,500 high-risk patients.
A special test detects within an hour whether a heart attack is present or not. The result is crucial for further treatment of the affected.
A heart attack can have many faces.
According to heart experts, a heart attack can manifest itself in different ways. Many patients complain of burning sensation and severe chest pain associated with a feeling of pressure. Others describe the symptoms as radiation pain that passes from the sternum to the upper abdomen.
Concomitant symptoms sometimes occur - increased sweating, nausea and shortness of breath. Some patients also show less obvious symptoms: dizziness, digestive upset, and headache.
Many symptoms associated with a heart attack can also indicate other serious illnesses. The faster and safer an existing disease is diagnosed, the faster the appropriate therapy will be delivered. Accordingly, the higher the chances of curing patients.
To date, doctors have mainly used an electrocardiogram to analyze the cardiac conduction system. However, this is not a key criterion for diagnosing a heart attack. There are frequent cases when doctors missed the disease due to the lack of changes in electrocardiography.
Does protein complex indicate heart damage?
Cardiologists explain that with the help of the so-called "troponin" a reliable diagnosis can be made. Troponin is a protein complex that helps the cells of the heart muscle contract.
If these muscle cells receive too little oxygen as a result of a heart attack, troponin enters the bloodstream. According to the German Heart Foundation, this also happens with other diseases in which the heart is damaged - pulmonary embolism, septic shock, or certain arrhythmias.
Patients with the above diseases, due to the relative lack of oxygen, also suffer from type 2 myocardial infarction.
Every heart attack requires the right treatment.
After identifying the root cause, the correct treatment is prescribed. When it comes to a “heart attack”, it is primarily referred to as type 1 myocardial infarction. Usually it needs to be treated as quickly as possible, immediately opening the affected coronary artery with a balloon and implanting a stent.
The test helps to quickly rule out or confirm a heart attack, even in high-risk patients. However, type 2 myocardial infarction analysis reveals relatively poorly.
How does the 1-hour troponin test work?
The test measures the presence of troponin in the blood. The so-called "troponin diagnostic algorithm" recognizes within one hour whether a heart attack really exists or not.
A new test is recommended in the current guidelines of the European Society of Cardiology for patients with suspected heart attack.
Currently, the test should be improved so that it can also differentiate type 1 myocardial infarction from type 2.
