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Blood test can determine if chest pain is heart attack

“Until now, there were no quick ways to rule out a heart attack within the emergency department”, said the study’s lead author, Dr. Anoop Shah, from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Here is a detailed information on common risk factors of a heart attack.

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They have levels of troponin, a chemical released by damaged heart muscle, tested when they are admitted and again 12 hours later.

Inter-national guidelines recommend that individuals presenting chest pain are admitted to hospital for testing for very high levels of troponin.

This study shows that low plasma cardiac troponin concentrations at presentation identify up to two-thirds of patients who are at very low risk of heart attack and could be safely discharged from the Emergency Department.

According to their results, published in The Lancet medical journal, anyone with low levels of a protein called troponin – which is produced by the heart during an attack – in their blood was extremely unlikely to have a heart attack in the next 30 days.

“Trials are needed to assess the safety and effectiveness of clinical pathways that involve no further testing for such patients”, wrote Martin Than from Christchurch Hospital, New Zealand, and colleagues.

Scientists who developed the test at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary also claim the test costs less than £10, although many UK hospitals currently lack the facilities to implement it. The graph helps us establish with 99% accuracy whether or not the patient is suffering from or has suffered a heart attack, ” said Dr Barnali Das of Kokilaben Hospital. We’d much rather be able to rule this diagnosis out early and prevent unnecessary stress and an overnight stay in hospital. “The overwhelming majority of these patients do not have a heart attack”, Shah said. A slight increase in troponin suggests some damage has occurred, while very high levels indicate a person has had a heart attack, the researchers explained.

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Professor Jeremy Pearson, Associate Medical Director at the British Heart Foundation, which funded the research, added: “We want to ensure no heart attack is missed but we equally don’t want to see people face unnecessary tests and spend extended periods in hospital”. No one wants to be in hospital unless they have to be. Hence, it is important that you are aware if you are at risk of a heart attack.

Simple blood test 'could rule out heart attacks and cut A&E visits'