Single Blood Test Can Predict Cardiovascular Disease Risk 30 Years in Advance, Study Reveals - Know How

Traditionally, high cholesterol was considered the primary risk factor for CVD. However, research now highlights the central role of chronic inflammation in cardiovascular disease development.

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) remains the number one cause of mortality worldwide, and being able to accurately assess long term risk remains central for early intervention strategies. Extensive research is being done in the field of preventive cardiology to develop risk prediction models and help identify key early biomarkers for diagnosing CVDs.

Recently, findings from a Women's health study conducted at Harvard were presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2024 in London. Researchers collected blood samples from 27, 939 healthy women living in the United States between 1992 and 1995 at an average age of 55, and followed up with them for the next 30 years. During this time, around 3,662 women experienced a major cardiovascular event, which included heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular-related death, and some underwent surgery to restore circulation to their heart.

Women's Heart Health: Key Biomarkers That Predict Long-Term Cardiovascular Risk

The researchers evaluated three key biomarkers in the participants - high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Low-density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), Lipoprotein (a) or Lp(a), and analysed cardiovascular risk based on their levels. They found that raised LDL levels increased the risk of a possible cardiovascular event by 36%, Lp(a) by 33%, and raised hs-CRP by 70%. Collectively, they increased the risk of coronary artery disease by 3 times and stroke by 1.5 times.

All these three biomarkers can be tested in a single blood test and can predict risk not only for the next five to ten years but 30 years in advance. Although this study was done only in women, these results can be extrapolated to males also since the basic pathophysiology of CVD remains the same.

From the early days of considering only high cholesterol as the primary risk factor for CVD, we have now come to understand the central role chronic inflammation plays in its pathogenesis. We are seeing a shift in approach from standardized treatments to individualizing and tailoring it to counteract the specific deranged pathway that is contributing to the Cardiovascular (CV) risk in that person. This study demonstrates that comprehensive screening for more advanced CV risk markers can lead to earlier and more effective interventions and help patient outcomes.

Traditional risk factors for heart attack like Diabetes, Obesity, and high cholesterol were earlier thought of as the main signs of an underlying CV condition, however, this study has shed new light on how despite not having any traditional markers, one can be at a higher risk of CV just by having that a high Lp(a). Cardiovascular issues are widely understudied and underrepresented in women. A simplified test that can detect cardiovascular conditions up to thirty years in advance could help address this gap.