LA JOLLA, Calif. (KGTV) – New research from UC San Diego Health shows a basic blood test may help doctors identify signs of a serious heart condition before it becomes life-threatening.
The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine last week, demonstrates how a simple blood test can detect signs of pulmonary arterial hypertension. This condition occurs when blood cells with a receptor called “Notch3” become clogged in the lungs and can eventually lead to heart failure.
“Pulmonary hypertension, with the backup of blood in the lung from these clogged blood vessels, ultimately puts a patient into right heart failure,” said Dr. Patricia Thistlethwaite from UC San Diego Health, who led the research…