A new test measuring levels of troponin I in the blood may help determine whether someone is really having a heart attack earlier than is currently possible. Troponin I is a protein that is released into the bloodstream when the heart muscle has been damaged such as during a heart attack. The more damage there is to the heart, the more troponin there will be in the blood. Existing tests measure troponin T or troponin I. The new study looked at a highly sensitive type of troponin I test that may be more accurate in less time. The findings appear in the Dec. 28 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
