I found this very interesting article in the copy of Mail on Sunday.
"When the heart muscles begin to strain, larger amounts of the protein – brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) – are released by the heart and it is detectable in the bloodstream."
New £15 blood test flags up heart disease at an earlier stage than ever before... and it's 98% accurate
•Test examines blood for protein that helps regulate blood pressure and fluid around heart
•Results available within three days - so patients no longer face agonising wait to be referred to specialist clinic for scans.
•Of 7m Britons with cardiovascular disease, more than half a million will suffer heart failure
•George Michael was reported to have been suffering from a form of heart failure when he died suddenly in 2016
Written by
sandybrown
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The trouble with newspapers' articles and, dare I say this particular one (!), is that they have to serve the information up in bite sized lumps (if not macerated as if for a baby) and perusal of this link patient.info/doctor/brain-n... shows that the figure of 98% is selective of one particular set of circumstances and, moreover, the "test" needs to be viewed not as in independent isolated Yes/No but as part of an overall set of tests to indicate a large number of possible conditions of illness.
I understand it but this is not new!, some information goes back to 2009. my next visit to my GP I am going to ask for this test. I did an electro cardiogram and echo cardiogram few years ago, I am not on any medication. One of my GP did comment that I have to take medication to lower cholesterol and blood sugar. Only time will tell.
If my GP will not do the BNP test I may ask my GP for a referral to do it private. Over the years I have had other private tests, one of it is (Bluecrest Health Screening), just to get some understanding.
Focusing on LDL-C as a treatment target results in many people being on statins that don't need to be on them. You should get your LDL-P (particle number) measured instead. If LDL-P is in the safe range then you won't need statins.
In addition, dietary and lifestyle modification should be everybody's first choice for improving health and addressing chronic disease, including the lowering of cholesterol. Statins and other medications all have side-effects some of which are longer term in their manifestation such as type 2 diabetes or Alzheimers.
Furthermore, half of all heart attacks and strokes occur to people with optimal levels of cholesterol. Blood clots are what caused these potentially fatal episodes. You should monitor the thickness and stickiness of your blood platelets as well as LDL-P to get a more comprehensive view of your CVD risk.
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