A new cheap and easy heart test could quickly identify people at highest risk of dying from heart failure.

Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, is a condition in which a weakened heart is unable to pump the blood the body needs.

This may be because someone has had a heart attack, has coronary heart disease, or has muscle damage from heavy alcohol use.

There is no cure for heart failure, which can reduce quality of life, but researchers hope the new protein test will help guide treatment for patients within five years.

However, a study published today in the European Journal of Heart Failure found that patients who consumed high amounts of certain proteins were more likely to die from heart complications.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is the chemical that does it all. It regulates brain activity and digestion, and neuropeptide Y is released by the heart during times of stress.

However, NPY closes small blood vessels in the muscles, which can cause the heart to work harder than necessary.

Of the 800 people who took part in the study, about a third of those in various stages of heart failure were found to have higher levels of NPY.

Researchers found that people with lower levels had a 50% higher risk of death from heart complications over a three-year follow-up period.

Researchers now say NPY should be tested alongside B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a hormone currently used to diagnose heart failure, to identify those who would benefit from life-saving implants. thinking.

Next on their to-do list is a larger clinical trial.

Neil Herring, Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine and Consultant Cardiologist at the University of Oxford, said: “The findings of this study are an exciting new development, building on more than a decade of collaborative research into this stress hormone.” Ta.

“We hope that our research will ultimately help the growing number of patients who live with the debilitating effects of heart failure every day.

“Next, before blood tests are performed within five years, measuring very high levels of neuropeptide Y will determine whether a patient is eligible for life-saving treatments such as an ICD (Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator). We plan to investigate whether this may have an impact.”

Around 900,000 people in the UK live with heart failure. The British Health Foundation, which funded the study, said this figure is likely to rise further as the population ages and survival rates after heart attack continue to improve.

Professor Brian Williams, the research charity’s chief scientific and medical officer, said: “This new study shows that a new, cheap and simple blood test could help us better understand which heart failure patients are at greatest risk early on in the future. “This suggests that it may be useful for pinpointing.” death.

“Only by funding life-saving research like this can we continue to push the boundaries and ensure that people with heart failure receive the best and most appropriate treatment to help them live well. ”

Get in touch with our news team by emailing webnews@metro.co.uk.

If you would like to know more stories like this, Check out our news page.

Read more: We are all expected to live shorter lives due to coronavirus

Read more: The amazing life of Polio Paul – he became a lawyer from inside a metal tank

Read more: The secret to anti-aging is deep and not very practical

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.