New study identifies a blood test that could more accurately predict heart disease risk

• More accurate prediction of heart disease: A new study found that a blood test that specifically looks at lipoproteins associated with “bad cholesterol” could be a more accurate predictor of heart disease risk. 

• Long-term monitoring: The team analyzed blood samples from over 200,000 study participants for 15 years to evaluate their blood test and the long-term risk of heart disease. 

• Identifying those at risk: The researchers hope that these findings are implemented into health care practice, as this blood test would identify more people at risk of heart disease at earlier stages. 

A new study conducted by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology identified a blood test that would be an early predictor of heart disease risk. 

The researchers explained that the usual way to check for heart disease risk is by looking at a person’s cholesterol levels. But this method misses something important — the particles that carry cholesterol in the blood, called lipoproteins.

Lipoproteins are tiny fat particles that move cholesterol around the body. This study focused on three types of these particles that also carry a protein called apolipoprotein B (apoB). Having more apoB is linked to higher cholesterol and a greater risk of heart disease.

The researchers developed a blood test that detects high levels of apoB. This gives a clearer picture of who is more likely to develop heart disease.

 “It was previously unclear if two patients with the same total level of ‘bad cholesterol,’ but that differ in their carrier characteristics (lipoprotein type, size, lipid content), have the same risk of heart disease,” researcher Jakub Morze said in a news release. “So, the aim of this study was to determine the importance of these different parameters.” 

The study

The researchers had over 200,000 people enrolled in the U.K. Biobank involved in the study. None of the participants had any history of heart disease or similar health concerns at the start of the study. 

The team monitored the participants’ blood samples for 15 years to assess the link between the apoB protein and heart disease risk. 

The findings

The primary finding from the study was that measuring the apoB protein was the most successful indicator of heart disease risk. 

“Since apoB indicates the total number of ‘bad cholesterol’ particles, measuring it offers a more accurate test than standard cholesterol measures,” Morze said. “That does not mean conventional tests are ineffective; they generally perform well. 

“However, in about one in 12 patients, standard cholesterol tests may underestimate heart disease risk, which is important to consider, since 20-40% of all first-time occurrences of cardiovascular disease (CVD) are fatal. By switching to apoB testing, we can improve that accuracy and potentially save lives.” 

Another key finding: lipoprotein(a) is another key biomarker for heart disease risk. The researchers found that this protein is genetic, but when it presents in very high levels, it greatly increases the risk of heart disease. 

“Our results indicate that apoB particle count could eventually replace the standard blood cholesterol test in research and health care worldwide and that lipoprotein(a) also needs to be tested for to get a better picture of lipid-related CVD risk,” researcher Clemens Wittenbecher said. 

“The blood test for these two markers is commercially available now and would be cheap and easy enough to implement.”