Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Could a Simple, Inexpensive Test Save Your Life?




If you’re one of the millions of people who have put aside any concerns of having a heart attack because your cholesterol levels are good, then it is time to think again. Contrary to all of the positive reports on advances in health care and medical research, cardiovascular disease continues to top the list of American killers. According to statistics, in this year alone 1.2 million people, unaware of any heart problems, will have heart attacks and 500,000 will result in death.


A Simple Test Reveals the Red flags of Heart Disease

  • A simple blood test called CRP could detect inflammation of the coronary arteries, which might lead to a heart attack. 
  • The test could be a valuable preventative against serious damage to the heart. 
  • The test measures C-reactive protein; a protein found in our bodies that signals responses to any forms of inflammation.



Reading the Test Results


  • Three or higher--higher bracket for heart disease. 
  • One to three--moderate risk for heart disease. 
  • A reading below one--lower risk range for heart disease.


    CRP Test Proves to be Successful

    Regina Allen, a woman in her mid-30s, went for a CRP test after her EKG and cholesterol tests came back normal, despite continuing chest pains and feelings of lethargy. The test showed inflammation and damage to the heart.

    Allen’s doctor restricted her diet to solely fruits and vegetables to lower the inflammation. After the inflammation was under control, she gradually added fats, grains and proteins to her diet. Allen then went for another CRP test after following the diet for three weeks and found her inflammation levels had been cut in half.



    Conflicting Opinions on the CRP Test

    Researchers said that inflammation was the dangerous trigger that set off heart attacks. Some doctors were opposed to the tests because of their resistance to accept new knowledge. Experts believed this resistance was derived from the longtime beliefs that artery-blocking fats could be found on angiograms or other types of heart tests. However, research has shown that only 15 percent of heart attacks were the result of blockages, while an overwhelming 85 percent were caused by inflammation and blockage, which weren’t picked up on tests such as angiograms and stress tests.

    Experts recommended that one way to reduce your chances of a heart attack was by making changes to your diet, such as avoiding high calories and saturated fats, then finding the underlying cause of the problem and searching for treatment options.

    ABC News April 15, 2004

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