A unique diagnostic test has been developed for cardiologists

A blood test for detection of inflammation can foresee an individual risk of developing heart and vascular diseases or early death 40 years before real problems arise. The authors of the development are the scientists of Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

The purpose of the test is to determine the time during which the red blood cells form a sediment on the bottom of a tube. The high rate indicates the presence of inflammation in the patient's body. The high sedimentation rate is associated with the increased risk of more than 1/3. Medical data of 18-20 year old volunteers have shown that the mortality rate was increased by 36% at a high erythrocyte sedimentation rate.

The scientists monitored the participants of the experiment until they reached 57 years of age. As it turned out the mortality rate of cancer and cardiovascular disease at the highest erythrocyte sedimentation rate were increased by 78% and 54%, respectively.

A low sedimentation rate was considered to be less than 10 millimeters per hour, moderate - from 10 to 15 millimeters per hour, and high - more than 15 millimeters per hour.

Source: Eurolab