Scientists said Saturday they have developed a simple blood test that can predict cardiovascular disease risks in women over 30 years.
Research supported by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) has found that measuring two types of fat in the bloodstream, along with C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, can predict a woman’s risk of cardiovascular disease decades later.
“We can’t treat what we don’t measure, and we hope these findings will bring the field closer to identifying even earlier ways to detect and prevent heart disease,” said Paul M Ridker, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
For the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the team collected blood samples and medical information from 27,939 health care providers living in the U.S. who participated in the Women’s Health Study.
Women who began the study between 1992 and 1995, at an average age of 55, were followed for 30 years.
During this period, 3,662 study participants suffered a heart attack, stroke, surgery to restore circulation, or cardiovascular-related death.
The researchers evaluated how high-sensitivity CRP, along with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and lipoprotein (a), a lipid composed in part of LDL, individually and collectively predicted these events.
When all three measures were assessed together, participants with the highest levels had a more than 1.5-fold increased risk of stroke and a more than 3-fold increased risk of coronary heart disease, compared with women with the lowest levels.
Although only women were evaluated in this study, one would expect to find similar results in men.
“In recent years, we’ve learned more about how elevated levels of inflammation can interact with lipids and increase cardiovascular disease risks,” said Ahmed AK Hasan, program director at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). “This helps explain why lower levels are often better.”
Researchers suggest regular physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, stress management, tobacco avoidance, and quitting smoking to minimize the risk of heart disease.
Disclaimer
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.