Heart disease is the leading causes of death in the United States. It affects more men than women and accounts for one in four deaths altogether. Fortunately, there is a new blood test that has the potential to give doctors information about a patient's risk for serious heart problems before the problems actually show up.
A new study published January 10, 2017 in the European Heart Journal reveals that a simple blood test may be able to save lives by giving doctors the chance to treat an underlying heart problem before it gets out of control.
The new test measures the blood levels of a molecule with the name of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO). TMAO is created in the intestines where friendly bacteria break down foods into smaller particles for absorption. Previous research shows that animals with high levels of TMAO have greater inflammation of the blood vessels. Prior studies have also shown that those who have increased levels of TMAO along with a heart condition have a higher risk of developing blood clots at some point in the future. Researchers are not certain if TMAO levels are related to increased blood clot risk in people who are healthy.
In the new study, the researchers studied the TMAO levels in two groups of people. The first group consisted of 530 adults at Ohio's Cleveland Clinic who visited the emergency room because of chest pain. The patients had blood samples taken when they first arrived and again four, eight and 16 hours later. The researchers kept tabs on these patients over the course of the next seven years to see if they developed heart problems or died from a heart condition.
According to the study, those whose TMAO levels were high were six times more likely to die than those whose TMAO levels were below a certain level. Those with high levels were also more likely to need blood vessel surgery or have a heart attack or stroke within 30 days. This finding was mentioned in a statement by Dr. Thomas Lüscher, a cardiologist at Switzerland's University of Zurich. Additionally, those with the highest TMAO levels were almost twice as likely to die within the seven-year follow-up period as those whose TMAO levels were the lowest.
Lüscher stated that the elevated risk of death or serious complications from heart disease remained even after heart disease risk factors such as smoking, age and cholesterol levels were taken into account.
Researchers also took into account the levels of a compound known as troponin T. Troponin T is found in the blood after a person has experienced a heart attack. According to Lüscher, even patients who did not initially have high levels of troponin T when first arriving at the hospital but had the highest levels of TMAO were nearly six times more likely to suffer from a major cardiovascular event as those whose TMAO levels were lower.
The second group of patients was located in Switzerland and included more than 1,600 people who had been admitted to the hospital because of chest pains. TMAO levels in this group of patients were measured approximately five days after the patients entered the hospital. The patients were given follow-up exams one month later and then again 12 months later.
Again, researchers found that the patients with the highest levels of TMAO in their blood were 1.5 times more likely to die, have a heart attack or stroke, or require blood vessel surgery a year later. Those whose TMAO levels were lowest were less likely to suffer from serious complications. According to Lüscher, it is possible that the decreased risk level for the Swiss patients versus the Ohio patients is a result of factors such as diet.
The study finishes by mentioning the benefits of this quick blood test in helping doctors to determine which patients are at the highest risk for serious heart complications, thereby giving them the opportunity to suggest preventative measures before it is too late.
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