Heart blood test pilot's success

Jun 24 2010 by Eryl Crump, North Wales Weekly News

New blood test

A NEW blood test that GPs can use to rule out heart failure without a hospital visit is to be used across North Wales.

Patients with suspected heart problems are usually referred to a hospital for an echocardiogram (ECG) to look for irregularities in the heartbeat.

The new test looks at the levels of a hormone called Natriuretic Peptides (NP), a clear indicator of heart failure. Low levels of NP in the blood means GPs can safely discount heart failure.

As well as being more convenient for patients, the new test provides a quicker result, saving them from an anxious wait, and is less expensive to carry out.

During the trial, 500 patients in Gwynedd and Anglesey were tested and around 300 had normal blood test results, confirming they didn’t need further ECG tests and avoiding a visit to Ysbyty Gwynedd.

Dr Graham Thomas, a GP with a special interest in community cardiology and echocardiography, said: “NP blood testing is a simple way to dramatically increase the effectiveness of a community based heart failure diagnostic service.

“It is difficult to think of any other development that has such benefit both to patients, most of whom can quickly be reassured they do not have a life threatening condition, and to clinicians who can work far more effectively.”

Most patients with normal NP levels can be cared for in general practice without referral. Those with mildly raised levels who do undergo echocardiography typically have mild cardiac failure although some are diagnosed with severe cardiac impairment.

The measuring of NP levels is being carried out at the department of clinical biochemistry at Ysbyty Gwynedd.

Avril Wayte, lead for clinical biochemistry at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, added: “The plan is to offer the test to GPs in Conwy and then expand the service to the whole of North Wales.”