Blood tests and heart attack

[Suetheramble]

Just for a matter of interest. How do they know a heart attack has occured by a blood test?

[sqad617]

Certain ezymes are found in heart muscles and not in the blood stream.

If after a suspected heart attack they are found in the blood stream then they can only have come from a damaged heart.........leaked out into the blood stream....heart attack.

[shivvy]

As far as I am aware, when the heart muscle is damaged, an enzyme is released into the bloodstream which can be detected in a blood test. I think there is a period where it is detectable eg 6 - 48 hours after the heart attack but I am sure a google search would be much more informative than me!!

[sqad617]

Suethe ramble....no need to Google...shivvy's answer was superb.
All googling will do is to give you is the chemical name of these enzymes.

[Suetheramble]

Thanks

[shivvy]

thanks sqad - my very old medical training isn't totally rusty then!!