Clinic appointment
Troponin Test
Troponin I, a protein released into the blood when heart muscle is damaged.
- Doctor-reviewed results
- Laboratory analysis
- 1 to 2 working days from lab receipt
- No fasting required
What’s included
1 marker measured
Troponin I (high sensitivity)
A protein released into the blood when heart muscle is injured, measured with a high-sensitivity method. It must be interpreted by a clinician alongside symptoms; it is never a substitute for emergency care. If you have chest pain, call 999.
Overview
High-sensitivity troponin I is the protein hospitals measure when someone has chest pain, because it rises when heart muscle is injured. Outside hospital a specialist may occasionally ask for it to follow up a known heart muscle condition. It is a clinic blood test, and it is never the right response to chest pain now: that is a 999 call.
Used by doctors to help assess heart muscle injury. This is not a substitute for emergency care: chest pain, breathlessness or collapse means calling 999, not booking a blood test.
Who this is for and who it isn’t
Who it’s for
- Adults aged 18 and over
- People whose cardiologist or GP has asked for a troponin level
- Anyone following up a known heart muscle condition
Who it isn’t for
- Anyone with chest pain, breathlessness or collapse today should call 999, not book a blood test. A single troponin result without symptoms and clinical assessment is hard to interpret, and a normal result cannot rule out a heart problem. Levels rise briefly after very hard exercise.
- Anyone with a new, severe or worsening symptom: contact your GP or call NHS 111. A test you buy today is not a substitute for being examined.
Common reasons people choose this test
- A cardiologist or GP has asked for a troponin level
- Follow-up of a known heart muscle condition
These are reasons people choose to test, not signs that something is wrong. A result is one part of a picture your doctor puts together with your history and an examination.
What your result looks like
Every result is shown with the unit and the reference range exactly as the laboratory reported it, with the doctor’s note underneath.
- Troponin I (high sensitivity)In range
- Result
- 4 ng/L
- Range
- <34
| Marker | Result | Units | Range | Flag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troponin I (high sensitivity) | 4 | ng/L | <34 | In range |
Values above are examples. Your report shows your own results with the laboratory’s units and reference range for your age and sex, reviewed, signed and released by a GMC-registered doctor.
How it works
- You book your appointmentA trained clinician takes your sample at one of our London clinics. Nothing to do at home.
- The clinician takes your sampleA single clinic blood draw by a trained clinician
- The laboratory analyses itYour sample is processed for the measurements included in this test. Lab processing typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receipt of your sample.
- A doctor reviews and releases itA GMC-registered doctor reads every result and signs the report before it reaches you.
- Sample
- Clinic blood draw
- Preparation
- No fasting required
- Who it's for
- Any sex · ages 18+
How to prepare
What we can and can’t tell you
The reference range beside each result is the laboratory’s own. A result in range is not a clean bill of health and a result outside it is not a diagnosis. Most ranges cover about 95% of healthy people, so about 1 in 20 healthy people fall just outside any one range. No test result replaces an examination or your own doctor’s judgement, and none of these panels is a cancer screening programme.
Read the full note
The reference range printed beside each of your results is the laboratory's own, and it is the range that applies to your result. We do not apply a second range of our own, and we do not tell you that a result the laboratory reported as normal is nonetheless too low or too high. If you see a claim elsewhere that your result ought to sit inside a narrower band than the one the laboratory printed, treat it with caution and ask your doctor.
Some assays cannot give an exact figure above or below a certain point, and those results are reported the way the laboratory sends them, for example as a value greater than a stated number. A result in range is not a clean bill of health, and a result outside a range is not a diagnosis: most reference ranges are set to cover about 95% of healthy people, so some healthy people fall just outside them. No blood test replaces an examination, a scan or your own doctor's judgement, and none of these panels is a screening programme for cancer.
If you have a symptom that is new, severe, or getting worse, contact your GP or NHS 111 rather than waiting for a test result. In an emergency call 999.
Frequently asked questions
Why is this test on a website at all?
Because clinicians sometimes need a result for a patient they are already looking after. If your result is raised, the reviewing doctor is alerted and we contact you by phone the same working day.
Do I need to fast?
No.
How long do results take?
The laboratory typically takes 1 to 2 working days from receiving your sample. This does not include kit delivery, sample collection or return postage. A doctor reviews your results before they are released.
Can I choose a home kit or a clinic?
This test is a clinic blood draw, as it needs a venous sample for accuracy. We arrange a convenient appointment for you.
Is a doctor involved?
Yes. Every result is reviewed by a GMC-registered doctor who signs it off and explains what it means and what to do next.
Is it confidential?
Your results are available through your secure patient portal. Our privacy policy explains how your information is handled and when it may be shared to provide your care.
What happens to my sample and results?
Your sample is analysed at a UKAS-accredited laboratory (ISO 15189). A GMC-registered doctor then reads your result and signs the report before it is released to your secure portal. The report shows your result with its unit and the laboratory's own reference range, and the doctor's note on what it means. If your result is raised, the reviewing doctor is alerted and we contact you by phone the same working day to advise on urgent assessment, which may mean A&E, an urgent GP appointment or a scan. A result in range cannot rule out a heart or clotting problem on its own. If you develop chest pain, sudden breathlessness, fainting or a swollen, painful leg at any point, call 999 or go to A&E rather than waiting for your result.
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