[ad_1]

A new cheap and easy blood test could help identify people most at risk of dying from heart failure, research suggests.

The study found that patients with the highest levels of certain proteins were 50% more likely to die from heart complications over the three years the study was conducted compared to those with lower levels. .

Experts suggest that testing for this protein, called neuropeptide Y (NPY), could help predict the likelihood of heart failure progression.

Researchers hope that blood tests will be able to help guide treatment for heart failure patients within five years.

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

“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, we plan to investigate whether measuring very high levels of neuropeptide Y affects whether patients receive life-saving treatments such as ICDs, before blood tests are performed in five years. is.”

Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump blood around the body properly.

It can lead to frequent hospital visits and decreased quality of life, and there is currently no cure.

It is estimated that more than one million people in the UK currently live with heart failure, and around 200,000 new cases are diagnosed in the UK each year.

In response to extreme stress, nerves in the heart release NPY.

This can cause a potentially dangerous heart rhythm, causing the smallest blood vessels in the heart muscle to close, forcing the heart to work harder and constricting blood vessels to the heart.

The study used data from more than 800 people at various stages of heart failure and measured levels of B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), a hormone currently used to diagnose heart failure. .

Participants’ blood pressure and echocardiograms (a type of heart ultrasound scan) were also measured and followed up regularly.

The study found that people with high NPY levels, who made up about a third of the group, had a 50% higher risk of dying from cardiac complications over a three-year follow-up period compared to those with lower NPY levels. did.

Researchers suggest that measuring NPY in parallel with BNP may help diagnose patients with heart failure and pinpoint patients who may be at increased risk of death.

Early identification of patients at highest risk also helps doctors determine the best course of treatment for patients and identifies patients who may benefit from receiving potentially life-saving implants. It also helps.

The research team hopes that a blood test for NPY will be available for use in clinics within five years.

Professor Brian Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “This new research shows that a new, cheap and simple blood test could help us in the future more accurately identify which patients have heart failure. This suggests that it may be useful.” The risk of premature death is highest.

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

The study, published in the European Journal of Heart Failure, was funded by the British Heart Foundation and carried out in collaboration with Professor Pardeep Jhund from the University of Glasgow.

Researchers then conducted a large-scale trial using data from patients with very high NPY levels to pinpoint which patients could benefit from the potentially life-saving implant. I would like to see if it is possible.

[ad_2]

Source link