Myoglobin is a low molecular weight, a cytoplasmic serum protein. Due to its low molecular weight, myoglobin is released more rapidly when muscle cells are damaged than other markers. The serum concentration of myoglobin increases above the normal range as early as 1 hour after myocardial infarction, and peaks in approximately 4 to 8 hours after onset. Therefore, myoglobin is better suited for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction(AMI).
Myoglobin is a protein in heart and skeletal muscles. When you exercise, your muscles use up available oxygen. Myoglobin has oxygen attached to it, which provides extra oxygen for the muscles to keep at a high level of activity for a longer period.
When muscle is damaged, myoglobin in muscle cells is released into the bloodstream. The kidneys help remove myoglobin from the blood into the urine. When the level of myoglobin is too high, it can damage the kidneys.
This test is ordered when your health care provider suspects you have muscle damage, most often of the skeletal muscles.
The normal range is 25 to 72 ng/mL (1.28 to 3.67 nmol/L).
Note: Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or may test different samples. Talk to your provider about the meaning of your specific test results.
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