New blood test could predict heart disease risk 30 years ahead of time: groundbreaking study

They’re getting to the heart of the issue.

Doctors say a simple “three-pronged” blood test can accurately predict a patient’s risk of heart attack and stroke 30 years ahead of time.

At present, medics usually perform an LDL cholesterol test to determine whether a person is vulnerable to various heart problems.

But in a groundbreaking new study conducted over the span of three decades, experts also tested blood for two additional biomarkers: CRP, a protein produced by the liver that increases in response to inflammation, and lipoprotein(a), a type of fat in the body.

The results, published Saturday in The New England Journal of Medicine, revealed that high-sensitivity CRP and high levels of lipoprotein(a), along with high cholesterol levels, were “predictive of incident cardiovascular events.”

The study authors say a blood test that examines all three biomarkers gives a more accurate and detailed picture of a patient’s heart health, which will revolutionize preventative care.