Heart Attack

A new study in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that an inexpensive blood test could predict future heart problems.

The blood test detects levels of a protein in the blood called NT-proBNP. NT-proBNP levels show that a heart is under stress at early stages, when other types of tests like an electrocardiogram and stress test might miss signs of trouble.

Cholesterol tests, which include HDL, LDL, and triglyceride tests are part of a lipid profile. Cholesterol should be measured when a person is healthy and should be part of a regular physical exam. ("Blood cholesterol is temporarily low during acute illness, immediately following a heart attack, or during stress (like from surgery or an accident).

A fatal heart attack is often the first symptom of heart disease, but heart attacks are preventable if the disease is discovered early.

Fifty percent of myocardial infarctions occur in patients with no prior history of disease. Cholesterol is believed to be one of the most important risk factors for coronary artery disease, but 35% with established heart disease have acceptable total cholesterol levels. This data would lead us to believe that current methods for detecting heart disease are not sufficient.

In 2005, the US Preventative Task Force released new recommendations for screening to detect abdominal aortic aneurysms because of the high mortaliy rate
from undetected aneurysms. Screening will allow most people who have a rupture and might die from an aneurysm to receive proper treatment before an emergency exists.

According to a study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, “If we were to eliminate prehypertension, we could potentially prevent about 47 percent of all heart attacks,” said the study’s lead author Adnan I. Qureshi, M.D., professor and director of the Cerebrovascular Program in the Zeenat Qureshi Stroke Research Center at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark.

The Heart Failure and Transplant program at the University of Pennsylvania describes the VO2 test used by physicians. "The VO2 is an exercise test in which a patient walks on a treadmill. The patient is outfitted with a mouthpiece that measures the amount of oxygen the body is using during exercise. It can determine how well the heart muscle is delivering oxygen to the muscles of the body in order to do work. If the heart muscle is weak, and the body tries to exercise, the heart may not be able to keep up with the stressful demand and deliver enough oxygen rich blood to muscles. The test measures a patient's ability to function (their functional capacity to live and work)."