Biomarkers in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Patients can be stratified by symptoms, risk factors and electrocardiogram results but cardiac biomarkers also have a prime role both diagnostically and prognostically. The proper diagnosis of ACS requires reliable and accurate biomarker assays to detect evidence of myocardial necrosis. Currently, troponin is the gold standard biomarker for myocardial injury and is used commonly in conjunction with creatine kinase-MB (CK-MB) and myoglobin to enable a more rapid diagnosis of ACS. Other markers of myocardial necrosis, inflammation and neurohormonal activity have also been shown to have either diagnostic or prognostic utility, but none have been shown to be superior to troponin. The measurement of multiple biomarkers and the use of point of care markers may accelerate current diagnostic protocols for the assessment of such patients