Blood tests identify new heart disease risk
Blood tests can reveal heart attack risk
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Tuesday, 05, Jun 2007 08:01
Men whose blood tests positive for an inflammatory marker have a three times higher risk of developing heart disease, researchers claim today.
A study published in the journal Heart says that the auto-antibody rheumatoid factor (RF) points towards the higher risk of heart disease.
Blood can be tested in all hospitals to monitor levels of RF.
The level of risk is said to be comparable to the well-known risk factors of diabetes (2.5 times) and high blood pressure (4.4 times).
However a link between RF and an increased risk of heart disease in women was not found in the study.
Researchers from the University of Southampton and Southampton general hospital studied 567 men and 589 women born in Hertfordshire between 1931 and 1937 who were assessed for a history of ischaemic heart disease (IHD), rheumatoid factor and traditional risk factors for heart disease.
They claim their work "suggests that RF is an independent risk factor for IHD in men from a general population".
"It lends support to the importance of inflammation in atherosclerosis [hardening of the arteries, when fats are deposited in the artery walls] and suggests that autoimmune processes may play a part," they write.
"In addition, it raises the intriguing possibility that RF may have a direct role in the pathogenesis [mechanism] of some subjects with IHD."
Commenting on the study, Judy O'Sullivan, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: "This study adds to what we have known for some time - people with inflammatory disease are more likely to develop coronary heart disease.
"Further research is needed in this area as we don't fully understand the exact mechanism that leads to this increase in risk. In the meantime, anyone with an inflammatory disease who is worried about developing coronary heart disease should talk to their GP who can assess their individual risk."