A “SIMPLE” MRI scan can spot the risk of heart attack or stroke 10 years before, a study shows.
Researchers at the University of Dundee said their findings could "save vast numbers of lives" as it could give patients the option of preventative treatment.
Paying attention to a particular part of the heart - the left ventricle -can help indicate someone's risk of future cardiovascular events, scientists said, even if the organ is pumping away normally at the time of the assessment.
Scientists studied 5,000 healthy Tayside residents with no risk or history of cardiovascular disease, which refers to conditions that narrow or block blood vessels, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure.
But, a decade later, it became apparent that an increased - but normal - mass of the heart’s left ventricle was a “clear indicator” of cardiovascular risk.
Ventricles are two chambers at the bottom of the heart. The right pumps blood to the lungs, and the left ventricle supplies blood to the rest of the body.
Thickening of the left ventricle's muscle wall is well-established marker for people considered at high-risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the research team.
It tends to occur early in the disease process and flags issues such as high blood pressure.
But what the left ventricle can reveal for people considered low to medium risk is less well known.
Study lead Professor Jill Belch described the findings - published in the journal Radiology - as a “very exciting and significant development”, especially since researchers found different risk factors in men and women.
“We looked at thousands of health records and it became apparent that the mass of the left ventricle was a clear indicator of future risk of cardiovascular disease," she said.
“What made our findings particularly interesting was the difference we noted between men and women."
A larger left ventricle in men was linked to diastolic blood pressure - the pressure blood exerts against artery walls between heartbeats - while in women it was linked to cholesterol.
Cholesterol fat-like substance found in blood. Too much of a harmful type called LDL cholesterol can block blood vessels and up the risk of heart problems and stroke.
Prof Belch said: “In men, we found that a larger left ventricle, associated with heart attack and stroke, was linked to the diastolic blood pressure.
"This level was what we would consider to be normal, albeit in the upper level.
"In women, we found a link between an increase in left ventricle mass and cholesterol.
"Again, this level was in the upper end of what we would consider normal.
"Both the level of blood pressure and cholesterol level were such that, normally, no preventative treatment would be offered."
Prof Belch said men should be encouraged to monitor and reduce their diastolic blood pressure, while women should be given statins at earlier to control cholesterol levels.
You can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke with many of the same methods.
Heart attacks and strokes, although affecting different organs of the body, are both what we call cardiovascular events.
Both arise from similar underlying conditions, such as atherosclerosis —a buildup of fatty deposits in the arteries.
According to the American Heart Association, the risk factors for heart attacks and strokes are largely the same: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, physical inactivity and diabetes.
Therefore, addressing these risk factors can simultaneously reduce the risk of both conditions.
Here are ways you can prevent the two:
Healthy diet
Exercise
Walking, running, cycling, swimming - whatever you like, do it!
Aerobic exercise can strengthen the heart and improve circulation.
The NHS advises at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week.
Strength training exercises can help control weight, improve cholesterol levels, and reduce blood pressure. It is recommended twice a week by the NHS.
Manage blood pressure
Healthy diet and exercise can help keep your blood pressure in check.
But it is worth monitoring it yourself after the age of 40, at least, when the NHS invites adults for a check-up every five years.
High blood pressure often has no symptoms but significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Quit smoking
One of the best ways to quit smoking is to use resources provided by NHS Smokefree. Support groups, medications, and other tools to help quit smoking such as vapes could be what you need to kick the habit for good - and it's free.
Limit booze
Excessive alcohol consumption can increase blood pressure and contribute to weight gain, which can snowball and become a heart health risk.
The NHS recommends not regularly drinking more than 14 units of alcohol per week.
But she noted that none of the volunteers who took part the study had "immediate risk of heart disease".
"This is exciting as it allows us to pick up people and treat them before any organ damage has occurred," Prof Belch said.
“We have clearly identified a very early marker of future cardiovascular disease which can be detected via a simple MRI scan.
“This is a widely available, easy to perform procedure that our study has proven to be able to identify people at risk of cardiovascular disease who may have no other identifiable risk factors, 10 years before the event.
“The ability to provide pre-emptive treatment for patients at a stage where their heart is working perfectly well could save vast numbers of lives which are cruelly taken from us as a consequence of cardiovascular disease.”
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