Blood test tracking heart stress predicts risks in elderly, study finds
A new study shows monitoring changes in a key heart stress marker over time better predicts heart disease and death in older adults.
Key Takeaways
AIA recent medical study has found that tracking changes in a specific blood marker of heart stress over time is more accurate in predicting heart disease and mortality among older adults than a single measurement.
The study involved 8,454 participants aged 70 and above with no prior history of cardiovascular disease. It focused on the protein NT-proBNP, a blood marker that typically rises when the heart is under increased pressure or stress, according to Asharq.
The results, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, indicated that monitoring fluctuations in this marker over several years could help doctors better distinguish between elderly individuals at higher future risk and those at lower risk.