Home Test Rapidly Identifies People at High Risk of Heart Attack

Researchers developed an at-home questionnaire test that quickly identifies people at high risk of heart attack. The findings were published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

“A heart attack often comes out of the blue,” said Göran Bergström, a professor of clinical physiology at Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, senior physician at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, and principal investigator for SCAPIS, via a press release. “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 to 64 who have significant coronary atherosclerosis and are therefore at high risk of cardiovascular disease.”

This Swedish-based study comprised data from 25,000 individuals aged 50 to 64 included in the SCAPIS population study. Patients in the population of interest all had their coronary arteries examined using computed tomography.

The at home test consisted of 14 questions, which take 5 to 8 minutes to answer. These questions, as noted by the researchers, relate to factors such as age, gender, weight, waist circumference, smoking, high blood pressure, high blood fats, diabetes, and family history of cardiovascular disease.

The results found that by combining information from the responses in a special algorithm, the home test can successfully detect 65% 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,” said Professor Bergström. “If we can make the test widely available within health care, 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.”