A new type of highly sensitive blood test could help reduce the risk of heart attacks, researchers have said.
A trial led by the University of Edinburgh found that using a new test that measures troponin could reduce future heart attacks in at-risk patients by 10% after five years.
Troponin is a type of protein released into the blood after a heart injury.
Researchers claimed the new test was more accurate than older versions and benefitted a number of groups.
These were patients with heart muscle injuries caused by conditions such as heart failure, heart valve conditions and arrhythmias.
'New high sensitivity test is tool clinicians need'
Discussing the research lead author Dr Ken Lee, who is a clinical lecturer in cardiology at the University of Edinburgh, commented that the new blood test is a tool that clinicians needed in the past.
He said: “In the past, clinicians could have been falsely reassured by the results of the less sensitive troponin test, discharging patients that appeared to not have heart disease.
“This new high-sensitivity test is the tool they needed, prompting them to look deeper and helping them to identify and treat both heart attacks and less obvious heart problems.
“In our trial, introducing this test led to an impressive reduction in the number of future heart attacks and deaths seen in this at-risk group.”
Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which funded the research, said: “Medical professionals in emergency departments need the most efficient and accurate tools to look after people.
“This particularly applies to those who arrive with a suspected heart attack.
“Such a time-sensitive and life-threatening condition requires the very best diagnostic tests.
“It is very encouraging to see that the new test trialled here is better at predicting long-term outcomes for these patients, whether they had a heart attack or a different kind of heart injury. This can lead to improved care for such patients.”
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