A topic near and dear to your heart
It’s the number one killer of folks in the United States: Heart disease. We hear a lot about it, and for approximately one-quarter of the population that has some form of it, the message literally hits close to home. And, there are differences in risk that range from no heart-event taking place, to a high risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack.
Heart disease may be diagnosed all the time, but not always successfully for everyone who has it. In addition, we don’t know who is more at risk for suffering an event such as stroke or a heart attack compared to who has a lower risk.
The word from a new study is that an inexpensive blood test may now be used to help identify the higher risk folks. A blood test was used to measure a combination of amino acids (called NT-proBNP), which indicate heart failure. The study of over three years included about 1,000 people. Those who had the highest levels of the NT-proBNP amino acid also had almost eight more times the risk of a stroke, heart attack, or heart failure, when compared to those with the lowest levels of the amino acid.
The estimated cost of the test is expected to be between $20 and $40.
Some doctors—many of them at larger university medical centers—are using this test, especially for people who may be at higher risk of heart disease or who already have it. People at higher risk include smokers and former smokers, diabetics, those who are overweight or obese, and those with a family history of heart disease. Unfortunately, a lot of doctors are simply not familiar with the test or comfortable with its use. I would say it’s perfectly reasonable to bring this test up with your doctor if you suspect it may be useful in your case.
In heart disease—just as in any other disease—prevention is the ideal. Waiting to think about it after the fact is letting the horse get out of the barn while you stand back and watch.
