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Blood test 'could cut hospital heart readmissions'

Tuesday 1st March 2011
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A simple blood test carried out when a patient is being discharged from hospital could cut hospital readmissions for those with heart failure, research has shown.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins have found that patients whose levels of a certain protein reduced by less than half over their hospital day were 57 per cent more likely to be readmitted or die within a year than those whose fell further.

In the past, the protein, known as N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, has been correlated with heart failure symptoms.

Researcher Henry J. Michtalik said: "These patients feel better. They look better. But this study suggests many of them may not be completely better."

Meanwhile, scientists from INSERM, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris, found that patients with high blood pressure and high cholesterol could be more prone to memory problems as they age.

Written by Megan Smith
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