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Massive heart disease Many do not know about their own coronary heart disease
Relatively many people suffer from coronary heart disease (CHD) without knowing it. Because the symptoms often show up only in the later course of the disease. But then they can turn out drastically and reach as far as a fatal heart attack. An early identification of the CHD can therefore save lives. With the help of a special biomarker, the early detection options will be significantly improved in the future.
At the annual conference of the German Society of Cardiology (DGK) in Mannheim, the results of a new study investigating the biomarker troponin for the early detection of coronary heart disease were presented. The researchers come to the conclusion that the biomarker has a high prognostic significance in the CHD and could contribute in the future to a significantly improved early detection. This could potentially drastically reduce the number of deaths from undiscovered and untreated CHD.
Thanks to a new biomarker, coronary heart disease may be diagnosed much better early in the future, avoiding deadly sequelae such as a heart attack. (Image: staras / fotolia.com) Early diagnosis significantly improves the disease prognosis
According to the experts, CHD is one of the most common heart diseases worldwide and the sooner such a narrowing of the coronary vessels is detected, the better the prognosis. The accurate diagnosis and elective assessment of the patient "demonstrably reduces morbidity and mortality," emphasizes Dr. med. Jan Sebastian Wolter from the Kerckhoff Klinik Bad Nauheim in the press release of the German Society of Cardiology. So far, for the reliable detection of CHD complex and invasive cardiac examinations are required. However, the new study shows that a significant improvement in diagnostic early detection with the biomarker troponin is possible.
Invasive procedures not applicable to all concerned
So far, there are considerable difficulties in the early diagnosis of CHD in clinical practice. Although coronary angiography can reliably detect the narrowing of the coronary arteries, this complex and invasive procedure can not be used with every suspected case, reports the German Society for Cardiology. According to Dr. Wolter is recommended in the current guidelines "therefore in most cases an individual analysis of all risk factors (recommended), which should preferably be performed with non-invasive diagnostics."
Troponin as a biomarker studied
In the current study, the research team headed by PD Christoph Liebetrau from the Kerckhoff Klinik Bad Nauheim is investigating whether the detection of troponins in the blood has a prognostic significance for the diagnosis of CHD. Troponin measurements have long been used in the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome, reports the German Society for Cardiology. Because these protein components, which are important for muscle contraction, are more likely to enter the bloodstream when the heart muscle is damaged, angina pectoris or various forms of myocardial infarction can be reliably diagnosed on the basis of the troponin values.
More than 4,000 patients examined
So far, according to the researchers remained unclear to what extent the troponin levels change even with a stable CHD. However, there were indications that "the highly sensitive troponins T and I could have a higher prognostic value than previously assumed" Wolter the starting position of the current study. Between 2009 and 2014, a total of 4,252 patients with suspected CHD or the worsening of a previously known CHD were examined for this study.
All subjects with high cardiovascular risk
All study participants were between 58 and 78 years old and had a typical cardiovascular risk profile, reports German Society for Cardiology. 84.7 percent had elevated blood pressure, 26.6 percent had diabetes and 69.1 percent had a lipid metabolism disorder. Also, 19.7 percent of the subjects were active smokers. Within 23 months of the study, 182 patients (4.2 percent of men and 4.5 percent of women) died.
Foundation for improved early detection options?
In their evaluations, the researchers said, according to Dr. med. Wolter notes that "Troponin I is an independent risk factor and has prognostic significance for all-cause mortality." This phenomenon is likely to be even more pronounced in women than in men, although the gender differences found were not statistically significant. If the results are confirmed in further investigations, this would considerably extend the early detection possibilities of one of the most widespread heart diseases, according to the conclusion of the German Society of Cardiology. "We hope that with our work we have laid the foundation for a practicable, comparatively cheap and reliable method for the early identification and risk assessment of CHC", emphasizes Dr. med. Wolter. (Fp)