Saliva Testing Speeds up Heart Attack Diagnosis

Dec, 2020 - By WMR

The innovative technique provides results in 10 minutes compared to a standard blood test, which requires at least an hour.

A heart attack usually occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart. Women are more likely to have atypical symptoms than men. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 17.9 million people (every year) die from cardiovascular disease worldwide that from any other cause. Now, according to new research, a new saliva test can fast track the diagnosis of a heart attack. The innovative technique provides results in 10 minutes compared to a standard blood test, which requires at least an hour.

New saliva testing can detect the presence of a known protein biomarker to indicate the occurrence of a heart attack in just ten minutes. It may accelerate the diagnosis of a heart attack if it is valid in the future. A heart attack usually occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart. Women are more likely to have atypical symptoms than men. During this research, the researchers took saliva samples from around 32 heart attack patients and around 13 healthy individuals. While the initial results proved promising, troponin was tested positive 84% of the time with samples of saliva processed from heart attack patients.

Only 6% of unprocessed saliva samples tested positive for troponin, indicating that the process is important for effective results. The new saliva test provides new diagnostic tools to people with poor heart health. According to the study author, Roi Westreich, the new saliva test will eventually perform the same function as a pregnancy test, providing results in minutes. However, further research is required to determine how long troponin remains in saliva after a heart attack. The research was presented in August 2020 at the ESC Annual 2020 Congress.