A simple blood test, costing just around ₹525 (£5), has shown promising potential in preventing thousands of heart attacks and strokes, according to a new international study. Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the research reveals that measuring levels of a protein called troponin can significantly improve the prediction of cardiovascular events—especially in people who show no obvious symptoms.
Led by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and funded by the British Heart Foundation, the study analysed the health data of over 62,000 individuals across Europe, North America, and Australia. Researchers tracked these individuals for up to 10 years, measuring troponin levels along with other conventional risk factors such as age, cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and smoking habits.
What Is Troponin?
Troponin is a protein found in heart muscle cells. When heart tissue is damaged — even subtly or silently — troponin leaks into the bloodstream. While troponin tests are already used in hospitals to confirm heart attacks after they happen, this study suggests they could be game-changing as a preventive tool when used in routine check-ups, similar to cholesterol tests.
“Troponin, even in the normal range, is a powerful indicator of silent heart muscle damage,” said Professor Anoop Shah, lead author of the study. “The test provides an extra layer of information that boosts our accuracy when predicting people’s cardiovascular risk.”
Better Risk Detection, Especially for the ‘In-Between’ Group
Doctors typically use an algorithm combining various health factors to estimate a person’s risk of heart attack or stroke over the next decade. But this model struggles with people in the intermediate risk category — those who are not low-risk, but not considered high-risk enough to begin preventive treatment like statins.
The study found that incorporating troponin levels into risk prediction models improved their accuracy up to fourfold. For people at intermediate risk, testing troponin could shift them into the high-risk category, thus qualifying them for preventive care. In fact, around 8% of people in the intermediate-risk group were reclassified as high-risk after the troponin results — potentially preventing one heart attack or stroke per 500 people tested.
Affordable And Accessible
At just £5 per test, experts say this tool could be feasibly added to routine health screenings in general practice clinics. “Given how affordable and informative this test is, it could transform how we identify and treat cardiovascular risk,” said Dr Spencer Keene of the University of Cambridge.
While the study focused on high-income countries, researchers acknowledge that more work is needed to assess its utility in lower-income settings, including India.
Why This Matters for India
India is witnessing a surge in heart-related illnesses, with heart disease now the leading cause of death in the country. Collated data from various studies shows that:
- One person dies of a heart attack every 33 seconds in India. Younger Indians (under 50) are increasingly at risk, often without traditional symptoms.
- According to WHO, raised total cholesterol levels (>200 mg/dL) are found in nearly 25% of the Indian population.
Early detection of heart damage — especially in asymptomatic individuals — can save lives. In a country with overburdened healthcare systems, a simple, cost-effective test like troponin could act as a frontline weapon in the battle against heart disease, experts believe.
The writer is a senior independent journalist.
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