Doctors find clue in quest to predict heart attack
Posted Mar 22, 2012 9:00 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Scientists believe they’ve found a clue that might one day help doctors determine when a heart attack is imminent.
Most heart attacks happen when fatty deposits in an artery burst open, but today’s best tests can’t predict when that’s about to happen.
Researchers are in California are looking at whether cells that appear to flake off the lining of a severely diseased artery might appear before a heart attack, and if spotting them could allow use of drugs to ward off damage.
Dr. Eric Topol said researchers found that a simple blood test can detect cells that may indicate a crack in an artery.
Researchers hope the test will be available for doctors to use in the next 18 months.
