Heart disease is the leading cause death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Prevention and early detection is key in lowering the risk of a fatal heart attack.
Blood provides many details about what is going on in the body and is an important diagnostic tool. Blood test can be used to predict the chances of heart disease or confirm a suspected diagnosis by looking at the levels of different substances.
A Cholesterol Tests
also called a lipid panel or lipid profile, measures fats (lipid) in your blood. The measurements can indicate your risk of having a heart attack or other heart disease.
The test typically includes measurements of:
q Total cholesterol
This is a sum of your blood’s cholesterol content. A high level can put you at increased risk of heart disease .
Ideally, your total cholesterol should be below 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L).
q Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
This is sometimes called the “bad” cholesterol. Too much of it in your blood causes the accumulation of fatty deposits (plaques) in your arteries (artherosclerosis), which reduces blood flow. These plaques sometimes rupture and lead to major heart and vascular problems
Ideally, your LDL cholesterol level should be less than 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L).
q High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol
This is sometimes called the “good” cholesterol because it helps carry away LDL cholesterol, keeping arteries open and your blood flowing more freely.
Ideally, your HDL cholesterol level should be 60 mg/dl (1.6 mmol/L) or higher, thought it’s common that HDL cholesterol is higher in women than men.
q Triglycerides
Triglycerides are another type of fat in the blood. High triglyceride levels usually mean you regularly eat more calories than you burn, which causes food to be stored as fat and increase your risk of heart disease.
Ideally, your triglyceride level should be less than 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L) .
Natriuretic peptides
Brain natriuretic peptide (BN) is a protein produced by the heart and blood vessels to help eliminate fluids, relax the blood vessels and send excess sodium to the uirne.
The body secretes high levels of BNP into the blood stream to help reduce the strain on the heart when damage occurs. BNP is useful in determining whether heart failure has occurred and in diagnosis a new heart problem.
A level between 100-300 pg/mL can be a sign of possible heart failure. Over 300 pg/mL indicates you most likely currently have heart failure.
Fibrinogen
Fibrinogen is a blood protein that aides in clotting. But too much fibrinogen can cause a clot to form in an artery, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Having too much fibrinogen may indicate you have an inflammatory response that accompanies atherosclerosis.
Smoking, inactivity, excessive alcohol consumption and supplemental estrogen may increase your fibrinogen level.
A normal fibrinogen level is considered to be between 200-400 mg/dL.
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