What Is Troponin on a Blood Test?

What it means

Troponin helps heart muscle contract. Normally very little is found in the blood. When heart muscle cells are injured, troponin leaks out and the level rises over the following hours.

Hospitals often take two or more troponin tests a few hours apart to see whether the level is rising or falling. The change between tests can be as important as a single number.

Raised troponin is most associated with heart attacks, but other conditions can raise it too, including heart inflammation, severe infection, kidney disease, a blood clot in the lungs and very strenuous exercise. Modern high-sensitivity tests can detect very small amounts.

Where you may see it

• Emergency department chest pain assessments
• Hospital blood test results
• Discharge summaries after cardiac investigations