LONDON (Reuters) - A simple blood test can predict a heart attack 10 years ago by examining the level of a high-sensitivity protein in the blood called trubonin, which is secreted if the heart is damaged, according to a report in The Times.
"This early predictive test was approved by blood, while current predictions of heart attacks depend on lifestyle, age and weight details," Kat Lai, the newspaper's correspondent, said in the report.
The paper quoted a heart doctor and a researcher in vascular science at the University of Edinburgh, who led the experiment Nick Mills to say that the levels of troponin can be used as a measure of heart health more directly than the tools currently used.
| The technology used to measure the proportion of troponin in the blood has become sophisticated (Reuters) |
Advanced technology
The technology used to measure the proportion of troponin in the blood has become sophisticated to indicate previous infections of heart attacks or seizures, as well as to confirm the health of the heart in general.
Dr. Nils Samani, medical director of the British Heart Foundation, said he hoped doctors would be able to "use this simple test early to identify people who are more likely to have a heart attack."
Sir Samani called for further research in larger groups of patients to confirm the value of troponin.