An
article was posted on Yahoo! Heath this week, and it dealt with the risk of a
heart attack coming from inflammation in the vascular system rather than
cholesterol attached to the arteries.
The article contends that half of heart attacks happen to those with
normal cholesterol. So three blood tests
were recommended to check for markers that are present when the vascular system
is inflamed:
”The
inflammatory tests used in the study check levels of these three biomarkers:
- Myeloperoxidase (MPO). This immune
system enzyme is normally only found at the site of an infection. Having
elevated levels in the blood was the single strongest predictor of heart
attack risk in the 2013 CHL/MDVIP study discussed above. “High MPO
signals a high likelihood of vulnerable plaque [the most dangerous kind]
in the arteries,” says
- Lp-PLA2. This blood vessel enzyme,
found to be the second most predictive of heart attack risk in the
CHL/MDVIP study if elevated, also warns of vulnerable plaque that could
erupt like a volcano, says Dr. Bale. “Lp-PLA2 has also been shown in a
recent study to be a direct player in the atherosclerotic disease
process.”
- High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP).
This protein, produced in the liver, rises when there’s inflammation in
the body. “In one large study, high levels of hsCRP were linked to triple
the risk of heart attacks, compared to people with normal levels,” says
Dr. Bale, who also points that a number of other conditions, including
infections and inflammatory diseases.”
Afterword by the Blog Author:
This is an approach that makes a lot of sense to me; get
these tests done if you are over age 50.
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