Explained: Blood test for heart patients flagged as indicator of Covid

The test measures proteins called angiotensin peptides. These peptides are altered in patients

with heart failure — and those with Covid-19, the researchers said.

A new blood test, designed for heart failure patients, could also lead to new diagnostics and

treatments for Covid-19 patients, according to a study by cardiologists at the University of

Alberta. The study is published in Circulation: Heart Failure.

The test measures proteins called angiotensin peptides. These peptides are altered in patients

with heart failure — and those with Covid-19, the researchers said.

Specifically, the test looks at the ratio between “good” and “bad” peptides in the

cardiovascular system.

The researchers examined circulating angiotensin peptide levels in the blood of 110 people

who were experiencing heart failure due to a heart attack or stroke at the University of

Alberta Hospital and the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute in Edmonton.

They found that a high ratio between beneficial peptides (angiotensin 1-7) and harmful

peptides (angiotensin II) led to better outcomes (lower risk of death, shorter hospital stays).

These results did not depend on how severe their symptoms were. Measuring levels of either

type of peptide (beneficial or harmful) on its own, however, did not provide enough

information.

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