What is the CK-MB test?
The CK-MB test measures the concentration of creatine kinase in the blood.
The enzyme creatine kinase has three isozymes: CK-MM, CK-MB, and CK-BB. CK-MB is found predominantly in the heart and in small amounts in the skeletal muscles. CK-MB is released from the muscle cells into the blood during muscle damage. Blood has low levels of CK-MB, therefore an increase in CK-MB levels is indicative of heart damage. Your doctor can easily find the source of injury by using a CK-MB test. As CK-MB is present in many tissues, a high level of CK-MB could indicate many problems.
What is the normal range of CK-MB?
The CK-MB normal range for adults is 24U/L, and the CK value is >190 U/L (men) and >167U/L (women). If someone is suffering from myocardial infarction, the CK-MB activity is in a range of 6-25% of the CK(total) activity. The heart is said to be damaged if the ratio of CK-MB total CK >2.5-3.