What chemicals does the body produce when having a heart attack
MB fraction
搂 Rises and returns to normal sooner than total CK
搂 Rises in 3-4 hours
搂 Returns to normal in 2 days
CK - MB subforms
This test is becoming more popular. MB2 is released from heart muscle and converted in blood to MB1. A level of MB2 equal or greater than 1.0 U/L and an MB2/MB1 ratio equal or greater than 1.5 indicates myocardial infarction.
Myoglobin
Found in striated muscle. Damage to skeletal or cardiac muscle releases myoglobin into circulation.
Time sequence after myocardial infarction
搂 Rises fast (2 hours) after myocardial infarction
搂 Peaks at 6 - 8 hours
搂 Returns to normal in 20 - 36 hours
Have false positives with skeletal muscle injury and renal failure.
Lactic Dehydrogenase
This enzyme is no longer used to to diagnose myocardial infarction.
I know that hospitals determine heart attacks by the Troponin level in the body.
A heart attack can't be defined just by CK levels, or whatever else...
The human bod goes through a big honkin' lot of changes when the most critical muscle is giving out!
Yes, Troponin changes. So do other markers.
But simple blood work can often be more revealing...
K+
Na+
Those will be out of whack before the actual attack occurs.
I deal with heart attacks day in and day out. Contrary to one of the above answers, electrolyte levels (Na and K) can be absolutely normal prior or during a heart attack. Other answers are correct to mention the heart enzymes such as cardiac creatinine kinase (CK-MB) and troponin. These are proteins that reside inside cardiac muscle cells and leak out into the blood stream when these cells are damaged during the heart attack. Definitive diagnosis of heart attacks is made by the combination of these enzymes and concomittant ECG changes. Hope that helps...
Your CPK-Mb will be high when you have a heart attack.