Heart attack risk can be identified in patients by simple blood test

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Scientists have discovered a simple blood test which could prevent thousands of deaths from heart attacks. The blood test checks for the levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) - which is a sign of inflammation - in people who have had a heart attack.Details from this blood tests are then used to identify those who are at the lowest and highest risk of death within the next three years.

Those found to be of high risk could be monitored more closely by medical professionals or given more aggressive treatment. While people seen to be of low risk could be given reassurances and sent home.Currently, patients who are believed to have suffered from a heart attack receive a blood test for troponin, a protein that is released into the blood stream when the heart is damaged.This new method of measuring CRP levels could provide experts with a more detailed assessment of the patient’s risk of death.Treatments for those at the highest risk could include some anti-inflammatory drugs such as colchicine, which is found to be effective against atherosclerosis - the build up of fatty deposits in the arteries that increases your chance of a heart attack.

The findings were made by researchers at the National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College London, in collaboration with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Informatics Collaborative (HIC).

Experts from the NIHR HIC gathered data from more than 250,000 patients who were admitted to hospital with a suspected heart attack.The study found that patients with raised CRP levels and a positive troponin tests had a 35 per cent chance of death within three years.Dr Ramzi Khamis, consultant cardiologist at the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial