26
BLOOD
RELATIONSTHE NEW TESTS ARE A
SHOT IN THE ARM FOR
ILLNESS PREVENTIONTHE PROMISE To estimate your
overall risk of a heart attack, doctors
currently piece together your family
history, cholesterol numbers, lifestyle
habits and other factors. But American
scientists are working on a test that
analyses millions of spots in your genome
to determine your inherited likelihood
of heart disease, giving you a genetic
score not measurable through standard
assessments. This could identify high-risk
people earlier in life, says cardiologist
Krishna Aragam. The hope is that you can
then take steps to lower your odds sooner.RIGHT NOW
Standard blood
tests can already
give you a wealth
of information about
your heart health, so
book in with your doctor for
cholesterol, triglyceride and
blood-sugar checks when you need
to. And remember: even if your
genes suggest a high risk, a healthy
lifestyle can help to bring it down.TESTING
FOR
HEART
AT TACK
RISKRIGHT NOW You
still have to rely on
conversations with a good
mental health practitioner or
pain specialist, not a blood test. According
to Professor Niculescu, the technology is
still about three years away. That’s not
necessarily a bad thing: having people
in your corner and talking about what’s
going on will always be an important
part of your treatment.TESTING
FOR
EMOTIONAL
PAINTHE PROMISE There aren’t any
objective medical tests for psychiatric
illnesses such as depression, but the
brain and immune system react to
these conditions by “turning on”
genes. Blood tests can pick up RNA
molecules, says Professor Alexander
Niculescu, and these have been proven to
reflect the relevant genes. “A biological basis
removes stigma [from mental ill health] and
gives people a handle on measuring risk and
treatment,” says Niculescu, whose team is
developing tests for suicide risk, pain and
stress. But it’s complicated: markers in men
may be different from those in women.MEN’S HEALTH 45A
WORDS: CASSIE SHORTSLEEVE | PHOTOGRAPHY: LEVI BROWN