New blood Test Offers Earlier, More Accurate โHeart Attackโค Prediction, Moving Beyond Cholesterol
LONDON – October 28, 2025 – A groundbreaking blood test capable of predicting heart attacks years before they occur, and with greater accuracy than conventional cholesterol measurements, is poised to revolutionize cardiovascular care.Researchers at imperial College London announced today the test identifies subtle changes in cellular energy production, revealing vulnerabilities in heart muscle long before โsymptoms manifest. The findings,published in Nature Cardiovascular Research on โคOctober 27,2025,offer a potential paradigm shift in preventative cardiology.
For decades, cholesterol โฃlevels have been theโ primaryโ metric for assessing heart attack risk.โข However, many โฃindividuals with “normal” โคcholesterol still experience cardiac events, while othersโฃ with high cholesterol never do. This new test, measuring levels of โthe โmetabolite succinate, addresses โฃthis limitation by pinpointing earlyโ indicators of mitochondrial dysfunction – a key factor in heart disease progress. Experts estimate that cardiovascular disease affects approximately 31.1 millionโฃ adults in the United States alone,accounting for one in every three deaths. โขThis new โdiagnostic tool promises to significantly reduce that number by enabling proactive intervention.
The research, led by dr. Dipender Gill, focused on analyzing blood samples from over 8,000 participants in the UK Biobank study. The team discovered that elevated succinate levels correlated strongly with future heart attacks, even after accounting for traditional risk factors like age, blood pressure, and cholesterol. “We found that succinate is a very early marker of heart โฃdisease risk,” explained Dr. Gill in a pressโฃ conference.”It appears even before any changes in cholesterol or blood pressure are โdetectable.”โ
The test works by detecting minute increases in โsuccinate, โa byproduct ofโ cellular metabolism, which accumulate when the mitochondria – the powerhouses of cells – become stressed or damaged. This mitochondrial dysfunction is a known precursor to heart failure and other cardiovascular problems. Researchers report the test demonstrated 85% accuracy in predicting heart attacks within a five-year timeframe, significantly outperforming standard cholesterol-based risk assessments.
Currently, the test is undergoing further validation in larger clinical trials. Imperial College London has partnered with a diagnosticsโ company to accelerate the development of a commercially available โversion, anticipated to โbe available to โphysicians within the next two to three years.the long-term implications include personalized preventative strategies, such as tailored exercise regimens, dietary modifications, and targeted pharmaceutical interventions, aimed at restoring mitochondrial function and reducing heart attack risk.