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Protein Level May Predict Heart Trouble
(Boston, Health-AP, 2/17/05)
Danish researchers studied 1,034 subjects who had clogged
heart arteries, but were in stable condition. The
investigators tested participants for blood levels of the
protein, B-natriuretic peptide (BNP), which the heart
releases when it undergoes stress and then tracked these
patients for nine years.. The scientists found that subjects
with the highest BNP levels were more than twice as likely
to die than those with the lowest. These findings suggest
that BNP testing can help doctors determine which
cardiovascular patients require aggressive treatment.
(New England Journal of Medicine, February
2005) |
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