Blood test can show heart risk in patients

A simple blood test can now accurately predict

a heart patient’s risk of serious illness or death, researchers have found.”After adjusting for all other risk factors, it’s clear this marker is picking up something we are otherwise unable to detect with standard tests.” said Dr Mary Whooley, from the University of California, who took part in this research.A protein called NT-proBNP, is tested to indicate when the heart is under stress.”When the heart wall is over-expanded by too much blood volume, or damaged by lack of bloodflow to the heart itself, BNP goes up and NT-proBNP along with it,” said Dr Whooley.The study features in the Journal of the American Medical Association.Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation said that evidence was required that anything could be done to improve the chances of patients who tested positive.It shows that measuring BNP(Brain-type natriuretic peptide) may be useful as a test to identify heart patients at high risk of heart failure.However, there is little long-term benefit in measuring BNP if it doesn’t lead to effective treatmenResearch is now needed to find out if treating people with high BNP levels significantly alters their outlook.”
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