Question

which of the following lab marker would best help to indicate the presence of a cardiac issue?
a) alt
b) esr
c) ast
d) ldh
e) crp

Explanation:

• ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase) is mainly a liver enzyme, so not for cardiac issues.
• ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate) indicates inflammation generally, not specific to cardiac.
• AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase) is present in heart muscle but also in liver; less specific for cardiac than LDH in some cases.
• LDH (Lactate Dehydrogenase) has isoenzymes, and elevated LDH (especially certain isoforms) can indicate cardiac muscle damage (e.g., in myocardial infarction).
• CRP (C - Reactive Protein) is an inflammatory marker, not a direct cardiac - specific marker for damage. Among these, LDH is more associated with cardiac tissue damage (though AST and others can be too, but LDH is a key marker for cardiac issues like MI when combined with other factors, and among the options, LDH is the best choice here).

Answer:

d) LDH