A quick and cheap blood test can save lives of thousands of heart attack patients, a new study has found.
The study, which was funded by British Heart Foundation, said the test can help doctors spot high risk people following a suspected heart attack.
How does this work? According to researchers measuring levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) – an inflammation in the blood of people after heart attack can point to the risk level.
The BHF said the blood tests are already being done to diagnose other health conditions, and may be used to monitor those at highest risk by giving intensive treatment.
According to a report in The Telegraph, now when the doctors think a person has suffered heart attack, they conduct a test for troponin, a protein released into the bloodstream when the heart is damaged.
However, as per this study measuring CRP levels can also give a detailed picture of the condition.
The study was published in the journal Plos Medicine, researchers used data from more than 250,000 patients, who were admitted in hospitals with suspected heart attacks.
The study was carried out by experts from Imperial College London and the National Institute for Health Research Health Informatics Collaborative.
“Testing for this biological ‘red flag’ at the same time as other hospital tests identifies those more vulnerable patients who should be receiving closer medical attention.
“Importantly, we hope with more research, we can be successful in developing new therapies that specifically combat inflammation to improve outcomes in heart disease,” Dr Ramzi Khamis, from Imperial College London, was quoted as saying.
