Blood test for heart disease

The blood levels of the enzyme called myeloperoxidase can help in identifying the risk of coronary heart disease in healthy individuals. Until recently, the cholesterol levels were found to be adequate for predicting the risk of heart disease. Researchers at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam, tested the initial levels of myeloperoxidase in 1138 healthy subjects, who developed coronary disease during 8 years of follow-up, and compared them with 2237 normal cases. The results indicated that people with the highest myeloperoxidase levels had a 36 percent increased risk of coronary disease than those with the lowest levels. In fact, myeloperoxidase levels could be useful in predicting coronary disease even when cholesterol levels were normal. From this study, it is clear that elevation of inflammatory markers, such as myeloperoxidase precede the onset of coronary artery disease by years. A simple blood test can help in predicting the risk of heart disease, and help to ward off potential heart disease.