What is assessed using a troponin test?

The troponin test is specifically designed to assess cardiac muscle injury. Troponins are proteins found in cardiac muscle and are released into the bloodstream when there is damage to the heart muscle. This makes them a highly sensitive and specific marker for myocardial injury, including conditions such as myocardial infarction (heart attack).

When assessing a patient for potential heart problems, elevated levels of troponin indicate that the heart muscle has been injured, which can prompt further evaluation and treatment. The test is not used to assess kidney function, liver damage, or thyroid function, which are instead evaluated using different biomarkers specific to those organs. Understanding that troponins are exclusively associated with cardiac muscle allows for accurate interpretation of results in the context of heart health.