Heart attack risk test developed by scientists

A TEST that predicts the risk of a heart attack has been developed.

It checks the function of “good cholesterol” that dampens inflammation, and the technique could improve screening for cardiovascular disease.

Patients would be offered cholesterol-lowering statins and lifestyle change advice.

The test measures the antiinflammatory capacity of HDL (highdensity lipoprotein) – rather than the amount.

The healthy fats help remove bad – or LDL (low-density lipoprotein) – from vessels. These can lead to clots – cutting off blood supply and triggering a heart attack.

The findings may even lead to better medications.

Senior author Professor Uwe Tietge, of the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, said: “HDL are very complex particles with antiatherosclerotic functions that are not reflected by measuring just the cholesterol quantity.

“Atherosclerosis- [plaque build-up in the arteries] underlying cardiovascular disease is increasingly recognised as a disease with a strong inflammatory component, and a central biological function of HDL is to decrease inflammation.

“Assessing it is already standard clinical practice.

“The new method offers hope of providing additional information independent of the quantity.”