Heard about the new blood tests for predicting the risk of heart disease?
Until very recently, blood pressure and cholesterol levels were the only measurements taken to help determine someone’s risk of heart disease. While these are still considered standard tests to predict a patient’s heart attack or stroke risk, physicians have learned that many people with heart disease have normal cholesterol and blood pressure. Realizing this, other indicators of heart disease have been studied and new tests are being developed to better predict who may suffer from heart disease. One of the newer tests measures levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP). Studies have shown that hs-CRP is associated with inflammation in the bloodstream and high levels may indicate higher risk of heart disease. Statins may lower hs-CRP, but currently there are no studies to indicate that lowering hs-CRP changes the risk of developing heart disease. University of Maryland is participating in a large trial to help answer that question. hs-CRP is elevated by obesity, metabolic s
