Triple Biomarker Test Could Revolutionize Heart Attack Risk Prediction, Study Suggests

November 3, 2025
Triple Biomarker Test Could Revolutionize Heart Attack Risk Prediction, Study Suggests
  • Guidance from risk calculators and guidelines, such as PREVENT, may support integrating biomarker information into risk assessments and shared decision‑making for preventive therapies.

  • Experts acknowledge potential cost and coverage barriers but note growing evidence and treatment options that may make biomarker testing increasingly relevant in preventive cardiology.

  • Although not part of routine screening guidelines, these tests are available at many labs on request and could aid in early risk detection and personalized preventive decisions.

  • Despite not being standard in routine screening, these tests can be ordered at most labs and may support personalized preventive care when traditional risk factors are inconclusive.

  • Clinicians may consider these biomarkers alongside genetic risk scores and coronary artery calcium scans as part of a broader toolkit for assessing heart attack risk, with attention to cost and coverage.

  • Elevated results were defined as the top 20% for each marker, with analyses adjusting for conventional risk factors.

  • The analysis involved 306,183 adults free of heart disease at baseline, with 10,824 events (3.5%) of heart attack during follow-up.

  • Lead researcher described the trio as pieces of a puzzle that together illuminate heart attack risk.

  • These results were presented at a medical meeting; they remain preliminary until peer‑reviewed publication, and further research is needed to integrate them into standard practice.

  • A three-pronged blood test measuring lipoprotein(a) (Lp(a)), remnant cholesterol, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) may identify individuals at markedly higher risk for heart attack, with risk rising nearly threefold when all three markers are in the highest ranges.

  • Together, these three biomarkers provide a clearer picture of cardiovascular risk than any single marker, capturing genetic factors, inflammation, and cholesterol abnormalities.

  • Each biomarker reflects a different pathway to cardiovascular disease—genetics (Lp(a)), cholesterol metabolism (remnant cholesterol), and inflammation (hsCRP)—and their combination could improve early identification and personalized prevention.

  • The findings are preliminary until published in a peer‑reviewed journal, and clinicians may weigh cost and insurance coverage when incorporating the tests into care.

  • Tests can be conducted using available lab measures (Lp(a) and hsCRP) and remnant cholesterol calculated from standard lipid panels, potentially making the approach accessible in routine care.

  • The study analyzed data from more than 300,000 UK Biobank participants followed for a median of 15 years, linking the three biomarkers to heart attack risk.

  • Across the UK Biobank cohort, risk rose stepwise: all three high markers nearly tripled risk, two high markers doubled risk, and one high marker increased risk by about 45%.

  • A stepwise pattern emerged: all three biomarkers high confer nearly threefold risk; two high markers double the risk; a single elevated marker increases risk by roughly 45%.

  • Lp(a) is genetically influenced and linked to arterial blockage; remnant cholesterol can be missed by standard tests yet promotes atherogenesis; hsCRP signals systemic inflammation tied to arterial damage.

  • While promising, the study is observational and based on an abstract; generalizability to diverse populations needs further research and formal publication.

Summary based on 3 sources


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Sources

Three-Pronged Blood Test Highlights Heart Attack Risk

U.S. News & World Report • Nov 3, 2025

Three-Pronged Blood Test Highlights Heart Attack Risk

3 Biomarker Tests May Spot High Heart Risk Early

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