Heart Failure

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.

To confirm a diagnosis of heart failure, the doctor looks at three areas:

• Medical history
• Physical Exam
• Tests

Tests include:

• Blood tests

Doctors are misdiagnosing some cases of heart failure that disproportionately attack women, especially elderly women, and those with high blood pressure and diabetes risk factors, say Toronto researchers reporting in the New England Journal of Medicine. This form of heart failure is called "preserved" ejection fraction heart failure.