Blood Test Detects Silent Cardiac Disease

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 27 Aug 2015

A blood test has been developed that detects silent cardiac disease and assesses a person’s risk of suffering from a future cardiac event.

The test analyzes clinically-validated, multiplexed serum protein assays to measure proteins related to inflammation, apoptosis, thrombosis, vascular remodeling, and other processes underlying Unstable Cardiac Lesion formation and chronic heart disease (CHD) development.

Image: Schematic representation of the protein biomarkers used in the Cardiac Protein Unstable Lesion Signature (PLUs) test (Photo courtesy of GD Biosciences).

The Cardiac Protein Unstable Lesion Signature test (PLUs; Irvine, CA, USA) detects evidence of heart disease in asymptomatic individuals and predicts their risk of a future coronary event with unparalleled accuracy. The simple blood test analyzes the proteins secreted from active lesions in the coronary arteries. Measured with other factors including age, race and gender, as well as in conjunction with current testing practices, the heart disease assessment test is able to identify underlying silent cardiac disease activity and predict the likelihood of a future cardiac event within a five year window.

The Cardiac PLUs Test was developed by Global Discovery Biosciences (GD Biosciences; Irvine, CA, USA). Current risk stratification tools that rely on traditional risk factors fail to accurately identify those who are at risk of a heart attack. In fact, over 50% of individuals presenting with a severe cardiac event have at most one risk factor or normal cholesterol levels. The test has been validated in a multiethnic population and outcome data demonstrates clinical utility in identifying at-risk patient.

Douglas S. Harrington, MD, CEO of GD Biosciences, said, “This test is a monumental step forward in combatting the world’s deadliest killer heart disease. The ability to identify underlying silent cardiac disease and predict the likelihood of a cardiac event before it happens is crucial in the health of a patient, especially those who are not showing any symptoms. We know the test saves lives, it has done so numerous times already, now it’s just making people aware of their options and expanding accessibility.” The Cardiac PLUs Test was recently presented at the 20th World Congress on Heart Disease held July 25–27, 2015, in Vancouver (BC, Canada).

Related Links:
Cardiac PLUs Test
GD Biosciences