Home test reveals heart attack risk in five minutes

MADRID (EUROPA PRESS) – A group of Swedish researchers has created a questionnaire for home use that quickly identifies the high risk of suffering a heart attack. Research has shown that it has the same level of precision as blood tests and blood pressure measurements.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, uses data from the population-based SCAPIS study, based at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden and primarily sponsored by the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation. The study was led by Göran Bergström, Professor of Clinical Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, a senior physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital and principal investigator of SCAPIS.

“A heart attack often comes out of the blue. Many people who suffer heart attacks are apparently healthy and asymptomatic, but they have fatty deposits in their coronary arteries, known as atherosclerosis. Our test can identify almost two-thirds of people aged 50 to 64 who have significant coronary atherosclerosis and are therefore at high risk of cardiovascular disease,” Bergström explained.

The home test consists of 14 questions that take five to eight minutes to complete. These questions address factors such as age, sex, weight, waist circumference, smoking, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and family history of cardiovascular disease.

According to the study, by combining the information from the responses into a special algorithm, the home test can detect 65% of individuals at higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

“The results show that our home test is as accurate as a clinical examination with blood tests and blood pressure measurements. If we can make the test widely available within healthcare, it could save lives and prevent suffering by helping us identify those at high risk of heart attack or who are currently undertreated,” said Professor Bergström.

EARLY WARNINGS CAN SAVE LIVES

The study is based on data from 25,000 individuals aged 50 to 64 included in SCAPIS. All participants had their coronary arteries examined using CT scanning, which provides an image of the degree of atherosclerosis.

By comparing the heart images with questionnaires filled out by the participants, the researchers were able to see which factors were most closely related to the degree of atherosclerosis. The research team has also conducted studies in Sweden and on data from the United States, to evaluate how the test works in different groups.

Identifying people at risk before the disease appears is one of the main goals of the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation, which is focused on SCAPIS. As the foundation’s secretary general, Kristina Sparreljung, explains: “A test that can provide early warnings would save many lives and much suffering. The results of Professor Bergström’s study are therefore extremely interesting.”