£15 blood test flags up heart disease at an earlier stage...
It’s 98% accurate
A new blood test to be offered by GPS could flag up heart disease at a much earlier stage than is currently possible, sparing patients severe symptoms and potentially saving lives.
The £15 test has been shown in studies to be 98 per cent accurate and results are available within three days, meaning that heart patients no longer face an agonising wait to be referred to a specialist clinic for scans.
The test works by examining the blood for a protein that helps to regulate blood pressure and fluid around the heart.
When the heart muscles begin to strain, larger amounts of the protein – brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) – are released by the heart and it is detectable in the bloodstream.
At present, heart failure is often diagnosed only when sufferers are experiencing breathlessness, fatigue or swollen legs and ankles.
Typically, GPS refer patients to a specialist at a hospital for further tests to examine the electrical activity of the heart, and X-rays to check for damage or excess fluid.
However, most patients have to wait months for results, by which time their condition is likely to worsen, increasing the need for major heart surgery and the risk of sudden death.
The new blood test takes 15 minutes and can be performed by a GP, with results available to patients within three days.
Individuals can be diagnosed that same week and put potentially lifesaving changes into practice, such as adopting a healthy diet, exercising and taking medication to protect the heart.
The blood sample is extracted from a vein in the arm (like any blood test) and is then sent to a laboratory. There it is examined for the presence of BNP, which is released from the heart and rises when the coronary arteries
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The new test specifically targets heart failure, which is estimated to account for almost 70 per cent of all costs to NHS hospitals. Martin Cowie, Professor of Cardiology at the Royal Brompton Hospital in London, said: ‘We have known for many years that there is a simple blood test that can help rule out the life-threatening condition of heart failure.