New heart disease test could become routine

A large new study, disclosed this week at a scientific meeting of the American Heart Association in New Orleans, found that even among people who appear to be in good health with relatively low cholesterol, the blood test could be a strong gauge of heart disease or stroke risk. If the test detects a high level of a specific protein, patients could reduce their risk of heart disease by using popular statin drugs, the study found.

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Known as CRP, the test measures whether people have elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein levels, an indication of inflammation that can be associated with increased risk of heart disease. Dr. Anthony Steimle, chief of cardiology at Kaiser Permanente's Santa Clara Medical Center, said the benefit of the test is strongest in toss-up cases where statins might be a preferred course of treatment, but it's not entirely clear.

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"This blood test can act as a tie-breaker in making treatment decisions," he said. "It would be particularly beneficial for patients that are at intermediate risk for coronary artery events, for somebody with risk factors but not enough to absolutely need medication."

Like other physicians, Steimle said that he has used the CRP test for a handful of years. The test costs about $20.

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