Scientists from Penza State University (PSU) have developed a new approach for the diagnosis of asymptomatic atherosclerosis, which includes the assessment of biochemical parameters and the state of the arteries. With the help of the new method, anyone will be able to control their blood vessels, the Ministry of Education and Science told socialbites.ca.
In the case of asymptomatic atherosclerosis, it is the vessels that are the target organ – violation of their integrity and function leads to serious diseases, including myocardial infarction. This problem is becoming more and more youthful: young people 30-40 years old more and more often suffer from atherosclerosis.
The new method includes a biochemical blood test with the determination of total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoproteins, as well as ultrasound of the common carotid arteries. Each indicator outside the norm is given 1 point. In addition, an additional point is awarded for the male gender. If the patient scores 5 or more, this indicates a high risk of coronary atherosclerosis, even if there are no symptoms yet.
“The proposed biomarker is based on a combination of biochemical parameters and arterial stiffness parameters that allow screening to identify individuals with subclinical coronary artery atherosclerosis among people at risk for coronary heart disease. Ischemic heart disease develops as a result of atherosclerosis and remains one of the main problems of modern cardiology and increasingly affects young people.
The scientists tested the new approach on 198 volunteers and 57 healthy people with various forms of coronary heart disease. The study confirmed the effectiveness of the method: it made it possible to reliably diagnose coronary disease.
Cardiovascular diseases are usually asymptomatic at first, so it’s important to detect them in the early stages when lifestyle changes (avoid alcohol and smoking, proper diet, moderate exercise) can significantly slow their progression. The new method will help not only to detect cardiovascular diseases in a timely manner, but also to take into account individual risks.