A new research has shown a simple blood test could help physicians identify if a patient is likely to suffer from coronary heart disease in the next five years. When there's a high level of the antibody called immunoglobin G (IgG), the patient is likely to avoid any cardiovascular disease, even if the cholesterol and blood pressure levels are high.
In the five-year study, researchers saw patients have a high risk of heart attack when their levels of IgG antibodies are low. This will enable doctors to be more effective for those who require close monitoring. If the blood test results show low levels of IgG they can prescribe preventative medication or therapies before their condition aggravates.
Patients are commonly scanned and tested for any symptoms of heart disease and scientists have been looking for cheaper and more efficient ways of highlighting the threat such as a simple blood test. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in the UK, killing more than 70,000 people and costs the NHS around £4 billion per year, Mirror reports.
Blood tests could be the cheapest and easiest way to determine patients with a high risk of cardiovascular disease and helping them to receive treatment before their condition worsens. The blood test could also save patients from unnecessary treatments, as per The Independent.
Blood test shows chance of suffering heart attack within five years #IgG #bloodtestforMI #heartattack https://t.co/XAjDpRALGF
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Dr. Ramzi Khamis of the National Heart and Lung Institute, who led the study, said that the blood test would mainly help diagnose high-risk patients and doctors to perform more efficiently and with more accuracy than our current methods, on
ce the blood test is "confirmed in other studies as well.. will significantly improve cardiac risk stratification."
Cardiovascular disease and heart attack's main cause is when cholesterol or atherosclerosis builds up in one or more coronary arteries and blocks blood flow to the heart. Generally, it's not considered that immunoglobin levels which can be detected by blood test are linked to cardiovascular disease risk but there is evidence that certain types could reduce the risk of cholesterol buildup and that other types may increase risk.
