Page contents
- What is elevated cardiac enzymes?
- symptoms
- Causes and risk factors
- Multiples
- Diagnosis
- treatment
- protection
Cardiac enzymes are proteins that are released into the circulation in large quantities from muscle tissue in the heart that has undergone cell death as a result of disorders such as myocardial infarction.
Secretion of cardiac enzymes depends on their molecular weights, their location within the heart muscle cell, as well as the rate of blood flow in the area.
Types of cardiac enzymes
There are several types of cardiac enzymes, including the following:
- Myoglobin
Myoglobin is a protein that travels to the bloodstream as a result of damage to any muscle tissue in the body, including the heart muscle, so measuring levels of this protein does not necessarily indicate the presence of heart disorders.
The importance of measuring the levels of this enzyme is that it rises within 30 minutes of damage to the tissues, unlike other proteins, which need several hours.
- Troponin
Troponin is a naturally occurring enzyme that is responsible for muscle contraction in the heart.
These proteins are released at high levels 3 to 4 hours after a myocardial infarction, and levels remain elevated up to 10 days. It is important to know that it may also be elevated for other reasons, but myocardial infarction is one of the most common causes.
- Creatine kinase (CPK)
This enzyme is one of the muscle enzymes that are secreted from the heart, and levels of this enzyme rise 3 to 4 hours after the occurrence of myocardial infarction, and remain elevated until 3 to 4 days, which makes it one of the appropriate tests for the diagnosis of re-infarction again.
Symptoms of elevated heart enzymes
Symptoms that may indicate elevated heart enzymes include:
- Severe chest pain.
- inability to breathe
- Increased rates of sweating.
- Sudden dizziness.
- headache;
Causes and risk factors for elevated heart enzymes
Causes of elevated heart enzymes include:
- Myocardial weakness.
- Pulmonary thromboembolism.
- Pulmonary hypertension.
- increased heart rate;
- congestive heart failure;
- Kidney disease.
- Increased muscle effort.
- Hypothyroidism.
- Stroke.
Complications of elevated cardiac enzymes
The complications that can occur as a result of elevated heart enzymes depend on the cause and severity of the elevation, as it can affect many organs, such as the heart, kidneys, lungs and muscles.
Diagnosis of elevated heart enzymes
High heart enzymes are diagnosed by conducting a blood test to measure the concentrations of these enzymes in the blood. Important notes on the results of these tests are the following:
- Enzyme levels in the blood are measured in nanograms per milliliter, and results depend on where the sample was taken.
- The concentration of creatine phosphokinase (CPK) in the blood rises within 4-8 hours of a heart infarction, and then returns to its normal level within 48-72 hours.
- Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) is not only secreted from the heart muscle, but it is also secreted in excess when other muscles in the body are damaged.
- A test is performed for a specific enzyme called creatine phosphokinase-MB, which is only secreted from the heart muscle, and an increase in this enzyme indicates the presence of damage to the heart as a result of surgery, or myocarditis, Or electrical cardioversion.
- The enzyme troponin (Cardiac specific troponin T and I) is a protein characteristic of the heart muscle. This protein is naturally present in healthy people in the blood and increases in concentration after myocardial infarction, and its level in the blood remains high for seven to ten days after the infarction.
- The importance of troponin is that it can diagnose myocardial infarction in patients who arrived at the hospital more than 24 hours after the occurrence of the infarction.
- Most of the time, your doctor will order other tests in addition to checking your heart enzymes to help diagnose the condition, such as imaging tests and an electrocardiogram.
Treating elevated heart enzymes
Treatment of elevated heart enzymes depends on the cause of the elevation, but most of the time the cause is due to a myocardial infarction. Treatment of this condition includes the following:
- take medicine
It includes the following:
- Anticoagulants: Anticoagulants are used to ensure that there are no blockages in the blood vessels that may be the cause of myocardial infarction.
- Beta blocker drugs (B blocker): These drugs work to reduce the stress on the heart, and protect the heart muscle from any other damage.
- Cholesterol-lowering drugs: These drugs reduce the levels of cholesterol in the blood, the high of which is responsible for the occurrence of clots.
- surgery
Surgery is resorted to in cases where drug treatment is not effective, where a cardiac catheterization can be done through which any blocked arteries are opened and a tampon is placed to keep it open, and other operations are resorted to if this operation is unsuccessful, such as open-heart operations.
- Alternative therapies
Some alternative home remedies can be used that will help treat cases of myocardial infarction, such as the following:
- Omega 3: Omega-3 helps reduce triglyceride levels in the blood, which protects the heart from various diseases.
- Pomegranate juice: Pomegranate contains many antioxidants that help protect blood vessels and regulate cholesterol levels in the blood.
- Garlic: Garlic is one of the most important foods that have been used since ancient times to reduce cholesterol levels in the body.
- Ginger: Ginger has antioxidant properties and lowers cholesterol levels in the body.
Prevention of elevated heart enzymes
The rise in heart enzymes can be prevented by avoiding the causes of their elevation as much as possible, through the following:
- Maintain a healthy, low-cholesterol diet.
- Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol.
- Weight loss for ideal weight.
- Manage anxiety and stress as much as possible.
- Exercising regularly.
- Take appropriate treatment in the event of a chronic disease; to ensure stabilization of the situation.
smilesإخفاء