Heart Attack Prevention: New Blood Test
- A novel scoring system, the TRIPLE Score, may transform how physicians approach heart attack and stroke prevention. According to a recent study, this test identifies patients moast likely...
- The TRIPLE Score measures specific proteins on blood platelets, combined with a patient's age, to help doctors make better-informed decisions about prescribing blood-thinning medications like aspirin and clopidogrel.
- Alexander bye, the led author of the University of Reading research, said the goal is to reduce the number of heart attacks each year.
New TRIPLE Score Test Predicts Heart Attack and Stroke Risk
Updated June 09, 2025
A novel scoring system, the TRIPLE Score, may transform how physicians approach heart attack and stroke prevention. According to a recent study, this test identifies patients moast likely to benefit from preventive medications, offering a more targeted approach to cardiovascular care.
The TRIPLE Score measures specific proteins on blood platelets, combined with a patient’s age, to help doctors make better-informed decisions about prescribing blood-thinning medications like aspirin and clopidogrel. Currently, these drugs are typically reserved for individuals who have already experienced a heart attack or stroke due to the risk of serious bleeding in some patients. The new heart health test aims to change that.
Dr. Alexander bye, the led author of the University of Reading research, said the goal is to reduce the number of heart attacks each year. He added that the new test will help doctors ensure patients receive the best treatment and maintain their quality of life. The team aims to simplify the test further by developing a finger-prick version,similar to blood glucose monitoring.
The study, published in Circulation Research, revealed that the scoring system accurately identified patients whose blood was more prone to clotting in laboratory settings. These results also aligned with existing risk scores used to predict a patient’s likelihood of experiencing a heart attack within the next 10 years. The stroke and heart attack test requires only a small blood sample and could be developed into a user-friendly tool for various healthcare providers.
This test could transform heart attack prevention in the NHS. Right now, we’re caught in a difficult position – we have medications that can prevent heart attacks, but we can’t safely give them to everyone who might benefit as of bleeding risks. With this new test, we can finally identify which patients would benefit most from preventive treatment.
What’s next
HaemAnalytica, a University of Reading spin-out company, was formed to facilitate broad access to new platelet function tests and personalize approaches to thrombosis prevention and treatment. The test is not yet widely available but is being developed for point-of-care use and will be implemented in patient studies to verify its ability to improve care.