Skip to main content

Cardiovascular News

A new test delivers a higher standard of cardiac care in the Emergency Room

The Elecsys® Troponin T Gen 5 STAT (TnT Gen 5 STAT) is the first highly sensitive Troponin T biomarker test cleared by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the U.S. This test promises to bring greater confidence to cardiac care. This new biomarker revolutionizes cardiac care by identifying lower levels of troponin with excellent precision. Cardiac troponin is released into the bloodstream when cardiac muscle cells are being damaged, as when a heart attack occurs. Troponin is the preferred biomarker when attempting to diagnose a heart attack in clinical practice.



As you will note, the Troponin is on the far right of the illustration and is one of the biomarkers that is tested when a heart attack is suspected. The TnT Gen 5 STAT will help physicians find this marker much more quickly than ever before, which is expected to reduce the amount of irreversible muscle cell damage that may occur during a heart attack.

What you may not know is that the other markers depicted in the diagram are early signs of heart disease and levels can be tested in our office. These tests are available through Cleveland Heart Lab and can give you an early warning of heart disease that is already present BEFORE an Emergency Room physician is determining if your chest pain is due to elevating Troponin levels. Testing is affordable and can be life saving. Knowledge is power, particularly when it comes to staying healthy.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Breaking Your Sugar Addiction

Everything You Wanted to Know About Urinary Tract Infections, but Were too Afraid to Ask

1. What are common causes of UTIs?   Intercourse, post-menopausal vaginal atrophy, kidney stones, sexually transmitted diseases, proximity to anus/GI tract for the most common bacterial cause, E. coli (wiping back to front, thongs, incontinence) 2. Are some people more prone to UTIs than others? If so, what are some risk factors?   Sexually active women are more prone to UTIs, as are post-menopausal women due to vaginal tissue atrophy. Pregnant women are more prone to UTIs. Women with diabetes and other immune compromised states, vesicourethral reflux (condition that causes reflux of urine from the bladder into the ureter, then into the kidney), Multiple Sclerosis, spinal cord injuries and other neurological syndromes that cause bladder dysfunction, kidney stones or other blockages in the urinary tract can also be causes of UTIs.  3. What steps can you take to help prevent a UTI from occurring in the first place? Urinate and clean the geni...

When a screening mammogram just isn't enough.

Did you know that in the state of Texas there is a Bill (HB2102), also known as Henda's Law, that requires mammography centers to notify all women with dense breast tissue that the accuracy of their mammograms is less than that of women with lower breast density and that they may benefit from “supplemental screening” in addition to their annual mammogram? Since the Bill was passed in 2011, several other states have adopted similar legislation. Last week, Governor Abbott signed House Bill 1036 that makes 3D mammography a covered benefit for the women of Texas as part of their wellness exam. Dense breast tissue is a relatively common condition and can be associated with an increased risk of developing breast cancer. Dense breast tissue can also obscure the Radiologist's view of the breast and mask very early signs of breast cancer. Therefore, women who have dense breasts may benefit from supplemental imaging, such a tomosynthesis (3D mammography), breast...