Scientists on Saturday said they have developed a simple blood test that can predict 30-year cardiovascular disease risks for women.
Research supported by
the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US 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 for cardiovascular disease decades
later.
"We can't treat
what we don't measure, and we hope these findings move 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, Boston.
For the study, published
in the New England Journal of Medicine, the team collected blood samples and
medical information from 27,939 healthcare providers living in the US who
participated in the Women's Health Study.
Women, who started the
study between 1992-1995 at an average age of 55, were followed for 30 years.
During this period,
3,662 study participants experienced a heart attack, stroke, surgery to restore
circulation, or a cardiovascular-related death.
Researchers assessed how
high-sensitivity CRP, along with low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and
lipoprotein(a) -- a lipid partly made of LDL -- singularly and collectively
predicted these events.
When all three measures
were assessed together, participants with the highest levels had more than a
1.5-times increased associated risk for stroke and more than a 3-times
increased associated risk for coronary heart disease compared to women with the
lowest levels.
While only women were
assessed in this study, they would expect to find similar results in men.
"In recent years,
we've learned more about how increased levels of inflammation can interact with
lipids to compound cardiovascular disease risks," said Ahmed AK Hasan,
programme director at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
"This helps explain why lower levels are often better."
The researchers suggest
regular physical activity, a heart-healthful diet, manage stress, avoid tobacco
and quit smoking to minimise heart disease risk.
No comments:
Post a Comment