My cardiac enzymes are elevated after doing heavy work. Should I be worried??

Question

My CK was 930 with CKMB of 5.5 and MBI of 0.6, Myoglobin 117, Troponin <0.06. The next day the CK was 550, CKMB 3.3, MBI 0.5, Myo 143, Trp <0.06. I'm thinking this is a lot of just skeletal muscle causing this elevation, but I'll probably see a doctor just in case.

Good question, dintym. I'm checking these myself. I work in a hospital lab and ran these tests. I see patient results all the time and I understand the values, but I just needed a little objectivity. Coworkers suggestions are conflicting so I thought I'd ask people who could be more objective. I plan to see a doctor in the next few days and share these results with him. Thank you.

Answer 1

Sounds like skeletal muscle especially since the troponin is normal. My CK shot up right after I started swimming - and is normal again. It is good to know what is normal for you but you may be over-analyzing this data a bit since it is on you. I think seeing a doctor tho is an excellent advice because lab values are only a part of the picture - that in combination with how your heart sounds, EKG readings and the like will paint a much better picture of your overall health and heart attack risk. Also - did you perform a lipid profile as well????How's your cholesterol and also how's your BP???

PS HIPPA and hospital regulations prevent us from performing laboratory tests on ourselves where I work - and if the tests are ordered by a doc, we are not allowed to look up the results! Bummer - i know.

Answer 2

The standard of care presently weighs more on the side of troponins because they are more accurate. You would need to look at the norm for your lab. It's not a good idea to interpret lab results by yourself, even if you are a trained health care provider. Even doctors consult other doctors. How did you have access to run labs this close together outside a facility?

Answer 3

But the biochemical equality was only apparent. Committee members wrote, "The most recently described and preferred biomarker for myocardial damage is cardiac troponin (I or T), which has nearly absolute myocardial tissue specificity, as well as high sensitivity . . . . If cardiac troponin assays are not available," they continued, "the best alternative is CK-MB (measured by mass assay). This is less tissue-specific than cardiac troponin . . . ." Not so much a redefinition as a coup d'état.

http://www.cap.org/apps/docs/cap_today/feature_stories/feat_0701.html

Answer 4

You are correct that this is skeletal muscle.

With a normal CKMB and normal Troponin, the enzyme elevation is not from the heart.

Answer 5

Perhaps you shouldn't be practising medicine yourself. You are now in an ethical dilemma. Are you going to tell your doctor that you decided to order and run your own lab tests? How is your doctor going to respond to that? Also, you apparently don't really understand the results if you are posting your question here. Have you been trained to interepret your signs and symptoms, history, physical examination and labs and tests to form a diagnosis? If not, you should not be performing these.

Answer 6

Skeletal muscle does contain many of the enzymes of cardiac muscle. A few are specific for cardiac muscle. Creatine phosphokinase is a specific one.

Answer 7

The worst patients are those who work in the health care field. The best comment you made was that you have an appointment with your doctor. Now you have to trust his/her judgement.

Answer 8

Sounds to me like that. But CPK-MB is specialized to cardiac muscle. I think you should see a physician. Never hurts to get things checked out.

Answer 9

Who is checking these? If a doctor told you these results without confirming a heart attack or other disease, I'd find another doctor.

Answer 10

plz dont wait few days to go to a doc..u need to go now.
what the hell ur doing to urself?u r not qualified to make tests for urself and to diagnose urself
cardiac enzymes elevation is very serious issue.and no its not skeletal thing!!!