A trivial blood test that will check your troponin levels could save your life. Detects the risk of a heart attack in the next 15 years. It worked great for men, now it’s time to verify it on women’s hearts.
The journal of the American College of Cardiology informed about the creation of an effective test by scientists from Edinburgh and Glasgow.
The British Heart Foundation says that while the test has only been tried on men so far, it will certainly work for women in the same way. Further tests begin in this direction
Troponins have been used for many years to detect hidden heart attacks, for example in people with chest pain. These are proteins that regulate contractions of striated muscles and the heart muscle. Even a slightly elevated level may indicate heart damage.
The main author of the research, prof. Nicholas Mills claims that the level of appropriate troponins in the blood also increases in people at risk of heart attack, which allows you to predict the risk of a heart attack even within 15 years. The specialist cites the research of 3,3 thousand. men with high cholesterol who have not yet had heart problems.
How to recognize a heart attack?
Prof. David Newby, who co-authored the study, told BBC News that troponins are like a barometer for heart disease. When the risk of a heart attack is high, their level increases, but lowering cholesterol levels and eliminating other risk factors, such as smoking, reduces the risk of a heart attack, which is manifested by a decrease in blood levels of troponins.
“Troponin level tests allow to determine how effective treatment with statins (drugs lowering cholesterol) is effective” – emphasizes prof. Newby. Prof. Mills believes the test will better detect people with underlying heart disease, who are particularly at risk of having a heart attack.
Heart attack in women
Sheffield University cardiologist Dr. Tim Chico points out that the new prognostic of a heart attack, which is the blood troponin level test, does not change the fact that the best way to avoid it is to have proper blood pressure, get rid of smoking addiction, proper diet, physical activity and correct body weight.