People with unstable angina usually have troponin values between which ranges?

Troponin is a protein released into the bloodstream when there is damage to the heart muscle, and it is a key biomarker for diagnosing myocardial infarction and assessing conditions like unstable angina. In cases of unstable angina, troponin values typically remain low, reflecting the fact that while myocardial ischemia occurs, it does not always result in the extent of muscle necrosis that would lead to significantly elevated troponin levels seen in a myocardial infarction.

The range of 0.04 to 0.1 ng/mL aligns with the expected serum troponin levels for patients experiencing unstable angina. Values in this range indicate mild elevations which can occur due to transient ischemia without major tissue death.

Understanding the interpretation of troponin levels is crucial for differentiation between unstable angina and other acute coronary syndromes such as non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) or ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), where troponin levels would be significantly higher due to more extensive myocardial damage.