At-home test reveals your risk of having a sudden heart attack in just 5 minutes – ‘with same accuracy as a GP checkup’

A NEW at-home test can reveal your risk of a potentially fatal heart attack in just five minutes.

Swedish scientists created a questionnaire that rapidly identifies people at high risk with the same accuracy as a GP checkup.

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Experts think tests like this one could save many lives[/caption]

Research shows that it has the same level of precision as blood tests and blood pressure measurements.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, uses data from the SCAPIS population group, based at the University of Gothenburg.

Study leader Professor Göran Bergström said: “A heart attack often comes out of the blue.

“Many of those who suffer heart attacks are apparently healthy and asymptomatic, but have fatty deposits in the coronary arteries, known as atherosclerosis.

“Our test makes it possible to identify almost two-thirds of people aged 50 to 64 who have significant coronary atherosclerosis and are therefore at high risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Some 39,000 people died from conditions like heart attacks before the age of 75 in England in 2022, according to the British Heart Foundation.

They caused an average of more than 750 deaths a week — the highest total since 2008.

The charity said a delay in diagnosis is one of the reasons behind the surge.

The DIY test consists of 14 questions that take five to eight minutes to answer.

The questions relate to factors including age, gender, weight, waist circumference, smoking, high blood pressure, family history of cardiovascular disease, high blood fats and diabetes.

By combining information from the responses in a special algorithm, the home test can detect 65 per cent of people at the highest risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the study.

Prof Bergström said: “The results show that our home test is as accurate as a clinic examination using blood tests and blood pressure measurements.”

He added: “If we can make the test widely available within healthcare, it can save lives and prevent suffering by helping us to identify those who are at high risk of heart attack or who are currently undertreated.”

The study was based on data from 25,000 people aged 50 to 64 included in SCAPIS.

‘COULD SAVE A GREAT DEAL OF LIVES’

All the participants had their coronary arteries examined using computed tomography, which provides an image of the degree of atherosclerosis.

By comparing the images of the heart with questionnaires completed by the participants, the research team were able to see which factors had the closest links with the degree of atherosclerosis.

The researchers have also launched studies in Sweden and on data from the United States, to evaluate how the test works on different groups.

Identifying people at risk before disease occurs is one of the main objectives of the Swedish Heart Lung Foundation’s focus on SCAPIS.

Foundation Secretary-General Kristina Sparreljung said: “A test that can provide early warnings would save many lives and a great deal of suffering.

“The results of Professor Bergström’s study are therefore extremely interesting.”

This month, the NHS has started rolling out a DIY kits which can reveal if you’re at risk of a deadly heart problem.

The tests, which eligible people can pick up from their GP, estimate the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke in the next ten years.

It also gives patients a cholesterol reading, estimates their heart age, and calculates a body mass index (BMI) score.

People between the ages of 40 and 74 who are not currently on statins or blood pressure medication can order the tests for free from their doctor.

PocDoc, the kit’s manufacturer, said taking the test and sending your results to the NHS can all be done within nine minutes.