New Superior Blood Test Helps Detect Heart Failure Patients

Washington (dbTechno) - A new type of blood test that was recently approved in Europe has been found to be far superior than the blood test used in the U.S. to detect heart failure patients.

The new blood test was reported on at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2008.

A trial was carried out to test the new blood test by using 1,641 patients from 15 different medical centers around the world, with 8 of them being in the U.S.

The trial was known as BACH, and compared the two blood tests MR-proADM and the BNP, NTproBNP tests.

Researchers found that the new MR-proADM test was the most accurate, as it was correct 73.1% of the time.

This compared to the BNP test which was at around 60.6% accuracy.

The new test was also found to be a better tool to predict mortality within the next 90 days.

It is believed that the blood test is going to be submitted for FDA approval in early 2009 for use in the U.S.