Heart attack, a word that sends shivers down the spine. It is a disease that can attack us suddenly and can prove fatal at times.
Heart attack is a disease that can strike suddenly and can sometimes prove fatal. But do you know that now with a simple blood test you can find out whether you are at risk of having a heart attack or not?
Researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden have found in a study that the risk of heart attack can be detected 6 months in advance by measuring the amount of certain proteins in the blood. This discovery is being considered a major achievement in the fight against heart diseases.
How was the study done?
In this study, researchers analyzed blood samples of 169,053 people. Out of these, 420 people had a heart attack within the next six months. Researchers compared the blood samples of these people with the blood samples of 1598 healthy people.
In this comparison, they found that 91 such molecules were found in the blood of people who had a heart attack which were not found in healthy people. These molecules can be a sign of a heart attack.
More research is needed
The main author of the study, Dr. Johan Sundstrom, says that more research is needed on these molecules. However, this discovery is a new ray of hope in the treatment of heart diseases.
How is the risk of a heart attack detected?
Currently, doctors use several tests to determine the risk of a heart attack. One of these tests measures the amount of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). This protein is released when there is excessive pressure on the heart.