By John Salak –
Heart attacks are not only deadly, they are all too often silent or overlooked assaults that do their worst damage before a victim realizes they are in danger. Swedish researchers now report that they have developed an at-home questionnaire that quickly identifies those at high risk of a heart attack that could provide critical early warnings to thousands.
The University of Gothenburg goes as far as to report its questionnaire has the same level of accuracy as blood tests and blood pressure measurements.
The university’s effort could be a life-saving development for millions of people worldwide because early warnings save lives and reduce suffering. In the United States alone, more than 800,000 people suffer heart attacks each year—which equates to an attack every 40 seconds.
About 75 percent of these victims are experiencing their first heart attack and about one in five attacks are silent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“A heart attack often comes out of the blue,” noted Göran Bergström, the study’s lead author. “Many of those who suffer heart attacks are apparently healthy and asymptomatic but have fatty deposits in the coronary arteries, known as atherosclerosis. Our test makes it possible to identify almost two-thirds of people aged 50-64 who have significant coronary atherosclerosis and are therefore at high risk of cardiovascular disease.”
The questionnaire’s added value is that it’s easy to take, consisting of 14 questions, and quick. It can be completed in five to eight minutes. The questions relate to factors including age, gender, weight, waist circumference, smoking, high blood pressure, high blood fats, diabetes and family history of cardiovascular disease.
By applying a person’s answers to a special algorithm, the Gothenburg team claims the test can detect 65 percent of individuals at the highest risk of cardiovascular disease.
“The results show that our home test is as accurate as a clinic examination using blood tests and blood pressure measurements,” Bergström claims. “If we can make the test widely available within healthcare, it can save lives and prevent suffering by helping us to identify those who are at high risk of heart attack or who are currently undertreated.”
The study involved research from 25,000 individuals aged 50-64. All participants had their coronary arteries examined using computed tomography, which provides an image of the degree of atherosclerosis. The research team then compared these images with questionnaires completed by the participants to see which factors had the closest links with the degree of atherosclerosis.
It is still uncertain how this or similar tests can be distributed and applied worldwide.
