622014 Simple Tests for Heart Attack Risk Could Save Lives and Money | Yahoo Health

httphealthyahoonetexpertsdayinhealthsimple-tests-heart-attack-risk-could-save-lives-and-180-million 13

HOME HEALTH TOPICS A-Z HEALTHY LIVING CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS DRUGS amp TREATMENTS FIND A DOCTOR HEALTH VIDEOS

Featured on Yahoo Health Saltiest Foods in America Farmers Market Primer Men Dont Ignore These Symptoms War on Junk Food in Schools Natural Anxiety Relief

773Recommend Tweet 76 134

Health Blogs Main

Day in Health

by Lisa Collier Cool

Recent Posts

Dying Manrsquos Love Story

Gives Others Hope

Study Serious Mental

Illness Could Cut Life

Expectancy More Than

Smoking

The $442 Million War Over

Junk Food in Schools

More Articles raquo

Related Topics

Heart Attack

Health Topics raquo

Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be preventedmdashand millions of

dollars in healthcare costs savedmdashif doctors used a new more accurate screening

strategy to identify at-risk patients according to new research presented at the

International Society of PharmacoEconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR)

Annual Meeting in Quebec

The study was the first to analyze clinical and financial outcomes of adding a

multimarker blood test to standard cholesterol testing The new test checks a

sample of the patientrsquos blood for three inflammatory biomarkers that may signal

future heart attack and stroke risk Each biomarker test costs $20 to $50

Researchers from Cleveland HeartLab (CHL) and economists from Analysis

Group calculated that if a commercially insured US health plan with one million

members adopted this approach 2018 heart attacks and 1848 strokes could

potentially be avoided resulting in $1806 million in cost savings over five years

compared to outcomes if standard screening methods were used

Heart Disease by The Numbers An Infographic

A More Accurate Way to Detect Heart Attack Risk

Improved strategies to detect hidden cardiovascular disease (CVD) are urgently

needed given that for 30 percent of people with CVD the first symptom is deathmdash

often from a heart attack or stroke says lead study author Marc Penn MD PhD

FACC director of research at Summa Cardiovascular Institute and chief medical

officer of CHL

ldquoAdding routine inflammatory testing to standard cholesterol takes prevention to the

next level at very low cost with a potentially enormous saving in both money and

livesrdquo says Dr Penn This combined screening approach is known as multimarker

testing

Multimarker testing detects 37 to 43 percent more at-risk patients than would have

been identified through checking levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol alone a 2013

study by Dr Penn and MDVIP a physician group specializing is personalized

medicine found The research which included more than 95000 patients was

published in Future Cardiology

Are Your Arteries on Fire

ldquoInflammation testing is like a fire alarm to warn of cardiovascular dangerrdquo says

Bradley Bale MD medical director of the heart health program for Grace Clinic in

Lubbock Texas and coauthor of Beat the Heart Attack Gene ldquoWith these tests we

can find out if seemingly healthy patients are actually at high risk for heart attack or

strokerdquo

For example adds Dr Bale ldquoWe have a patient who is in such superb physical

condition that wersquove nicknamed him Superman He only consulted us because his

wife talked him into getting checked but inflammatory testing revealed that his

arteries were on firemdashand ultrasound imaging found huge plaque depositsrdquo

Simple Tests for Heart Attack Risk CouldSave Lives and Money

By Lisa Collier Cool

Jun 02 2014

Yahoo Health

247235 people like Yahoo Health

Facebook social plugin

Like

Follow YahooHealth on Twitter

Health Videos

Diabetes ComplicationsBy HealthDay

More Videos raquo

Related Health News

Zontivity Approved For People at High-Risk of Heart

Attack StrokeMay 08 2014 - HealthDay

Heart Attack in Middle Age May Be Tougher on

WomenJun 02 2014 - HealthDay

Search Health

Home Mail News Sports Finance Weather Games Groups

622014 Simple Tests for Heart Attack Risk Could Save Lives and Money | Yahoo Health

httphealthyahoonetexpertsdayinhealthsimple-tests-heart-attack-risk-could-save-lives-and-180-million 23

These findings ldquowere the cardiovascular equivalent of kryptonite in Supermanrsquos

arteriesrdquo continues Dr Bale who routinely uses inflammatory testing in his

medical practice

10 Top Health Risks For Men

Warning Signs of an Impending Heart Attack

In a new paper Dr Bale reports that inflammatory testingmdashalong with imagingmdash

are key reasons why medical providers can actually guarantee arterial wellness

The inflammatory tests used in the study check levels of these three biomarkers

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) This immune system enzyme is normally only

found at the site of an infection Having elevated levels in the blood was the

single strongest predictor of heart attack risk in the 2013 CHLMDVIP study

discussed above ldquoHigh MPO signals a high likelihood of vulnerable plaque

[the most dangerous kind] in the arteriesrdquo says Dr Penn

Lp-PLA2 This blood vessel enzyme found to be the second most predictive

of heart attack risk in the CHLMDVIP study if elevated also warns of

vulnerable plaque that could erupt like a volcano says Dr Bale ldquoLp-PLA2

has also been shown in a recent study to be a direct player in the

atherosclerotic disease processrdquo

High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) This protein produced in the

liver rises when therersquos inflammation in the body ldquoIn one large study high

levels of hsCRP were linked to triple the risk of heart attacks compared to

people with normal levelsrdquo says Dr Bale who also points that a number of

other conditions including infections and inflammatory diseases

50 Percent of Heart Attack Sufferers Have Normal

Cholesterol

ldquoTraditionally doctors have focused on identifying and treating people with high

cholesterol but in 2014 this strategy is not sufficient because about 50 percent of

people who have heart attacks or strokes have normal cholesterol levelsrdquo reports

Dr Penn ldquoInflammation testing can improve outcomes by identifying people with

previously unsuspected riskrdquo

ldquoBeing able to tell which patientsrsquo arteries are on firemdashand prescribe appropriate

treatments which can include weight loss more exercise improved diets and

medicationsmdashis key to saving lives by taking early action to prevent heart attacks

and strokesrdquo says Dr Bale

Currently Medicare covers all three tests but coverage varies among other plans

ldquoEvery insurance plan should pay for these tests because arterial inflammation has

been shown to actually cause cardiovascular diseasemdashand ignite heart attacks

This study is exciting because it suggests that inexpensive tests can lead to huge

cost savingsrdquo adds Dr Bale

11 Ways to Save Money on Healthcare

mdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdashmdash

Get the information you need to improve your

health and wellness on Healthlinecom

Common MS Symptoms in Women MS is an autoimmune condition

that affects women disproportionately

The Most Surprising Facts About Testosterone Testosterone does

more than just build your muscles

Famous Faces of Heart Disease Even the very rich and famous cant

necessarily avoid heart disease

How do You Get Arthritis Understanding the causes and risk factors

bull Pre-Heart Attack Symptoms

bull High Blood Pressure Remedies

bull Normal Cholesterol Level

bull Signs of Heart Disease

bull Heart Attack Signs

bull Best Heart Health Vitamins

bull Healthy Cholesterol Levels

bull Heart Blockage Symptoms

AD TOPICS THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU

622014 Simple Tests for Heart Attack Risk Could Save Lives and Money | Yahoo Health

httphealthyahoonetexpertsdayinhealthsimple-tests-heart-attack-risk-could-save-lives-and-180-million 33

Health Topics A-Z

Healthy Living

Symptoms Checker

Drugs amp Treatments

Find a Doctor

Featured Blogs

Tip of the Day

Health News

Videos

MORE ON YAHOO HEALTH

Answers

Local

Mail

Messenger

News

Shine

ALSO ON YAHOO

can help you and your doctor take preventive measures in advance

Are Heart Sounds a Sign of Atrial Fibrillation AFib

results in a heartbeat that is irregular and too fast

More Resources Chicken Beef Worst for Food PoisoningLiving in US

Increases Kids Allergy RiskHow Self-Affirmation Reduces Stress

LEAVE YOUR COMMENT

- select a sign in -

Follow Yahoo Health on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook

bull Heart DiseaseTreatments

bull Heart Disease Remedies

bull Best Heart Surgeons

bull Heart Attack Treatment

bull Signs of a Heart Attack

bull Omega 3 Supplements

bull Heart Disease Causes

bull Lower LDL Cholesterol

bull Pre-Heart AttackSymptoms

bull Headache Cures

AD TOPICS THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU

Yahoo Health is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or health advice examination diagnosis or treatment

Yahoo Lifestyles Network | Terms | Help | Privacy | About Our Ads