- Scientists have been looking at using blood tests to predict the likelihood of a first heart attack.
- The authors of a new study identified about 90 molecules that may serve as biomarkers of a cardiac event.
- One of the strongest indicators of an imminent heart attack is the brain natriuretic peptide — a diuretic — with which the heart itself may seek to lower blood volume through increased urination.
- Blood tests already exist to detect this peptide.
Roughly
A new study from researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden identifies blood biomarkers that could be used to provide an “early warning” system that may allow time for preventive measures before a first heart attack.
Researchers are also working on an online tool that can be used by anybody who knows their current LDL and HDL cholesterol numbers, waist circumference, height, and a few other details, which can predict the likelihood you will have your first heart attack within the next six months.
The authors of the study examined blood samples from 169,053 European individuals without prior cardiovascular disease. They compared the blood of 420 people who experienced their first heart attack within six months of its collection against the blood of 1,598 healthy individuals.
About 90 molecules were identified in the study as biomarkers of an imminent heart attack.
The study is published in
Of the 91 identified molecules, the study’s senior author, Dr. Johan Sundström, said, “These could be root causes or mediators in causal pathways — or they could be innocent bystanders — and they would all need further research to determine which is which.”
The new tool — being based on the type of blood test one…
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