An improved blood test could make a dramatic difference in the diagnosis of heart attack in women, researchers have reported.
The test is able to detect low levels of a protein called troponin, which indicates whether a heart attack is under way.
It has been introduced as a way of improving detection of heart attack in women, which is often undetected.
Researchers from Edinburgh University, Scotland, revealed their findings at the conference of the European Society of Cardiology in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
So far some 1,126 patients have taken part in the study. Researchers hope to test more than 25,000 patients in ten Scottish hospitals.
The study has confirmed concerns that troponin levels in women peak at a lower level than those in men, researchers said.
Cardiologist Dr Nicholas Mills said: "Whilst men and women are just as likely to present to the emergency department with chest pain, currently men are twice as likely to be diagnosed with a heart attack. By using the Abbott high sensitive troponin test and different diagnostic thresholds for men and women, the frequency of diagnosis of heart attacks in women increased and was comparable to men.
"The findings of our study, when completed, could change the way we diagnose heart attacks in women, potentially reducing inequalities in the treatment and outcomes, and enabling everyone to receive the best care."
The research was welcomed by the British Heart Foundation.
Medical director Professor Peter Weissberg said: “This research has shown that the normal range for a blood test – that detects small amounts of heart damage – is different in men and women.
"When results are adjusted for this difference, many more women are identified with underlying heart disease than with the conventional test. If confirmed in larger studies, these results suggest that the test could save more women’s lives by identifying those at risk of a major heart attack.”
Anoop S, Mills, N, et. al. High-sensitivity cardiac troponin and the underdiagnosis of myocardial infarction in women. Study presented at the ESC Congress 2013, September 4, 2013.
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