 |
|
|
|
|
| [an error occurred while processing this directive]
|
A 15-minute test can help detect the presence of congestive heart failure, paving the way to earlier diagnosis and treatment. In a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, University of California researcher Dr. Alan S. Maisel and colleagues reported findings of an international study of nearly 1,600 emergency patients complaining of shortness of breath--one of the primary symptoms of congestive heart failure. Often due to underlying problems such as coronary artery disease, blood pressure or heart attack, congestive heart failure is a chronic and serious condition affecting over 4.8 million Americans in whom the heart loses its natural ability to pump efficiently.
In emergency patients complaining of shortness of breath, Maisel and his colleagues administered the simple blood test to measure the presence of a hormone called B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) that is secreted from the heart's ventricles in response to increased pressure and volume in the organ. BNP promotes the release of fluid and sodium from the body. Using the experimental test, one of two diagnostic tests in development, Maisel's team was able to correctly diagnose congestive heart failure in nine out of ten cases without relying on more expensive, time-consuming tests such as echocardiograms and chest x-rays.
"We believe that all patients presenting to the emergency room with shortness of breath in which congestive heart failure might be a cause should have this test performed," says Dr. Maisel, professor of medicine at the University of California. "This is extremely novel and exciting. There has never been a blood test for congestive heart failure before."
|
