(NewsNation) — A new blood test could help women determine their risk of heart disease decades before an official diagnosis, researchers found in a 30-year study.
The study, published Saturday in the New England Journal of Medicine, found women with high levels of three specific blood markers had more than three times the risk for heart disease compared to women with the lowest levels.
The single blood test measured inflammation and two types of fat in their bloodstream, which extended doctors’ ability to detect heart disease risk beyond the traditional 10-year estimate.
Women who started the study between 1992 and 1995 were an average age of 55 and initially healthy. Throughout the study, nearly 3,700 participants experienced a heart attack, stroke, surgery to restore circulation or a cardiovascular-related death, according to the research.
The study was exclusive to women, but researchers said they expect similar results in men. They recommend prevention by getting regular physical activity, eating heart-healthy diets, managing stress and quitting tobacco or smoking.
“We can’t treat what we don’t measure, and we hope these findings move the field closer to identifying even earlier ways to detect and prevent heart disease,” said Paul M. Ridker, one of the study authors, in a news release from the National Institutes of Health.
