Singulex Assay Could ID Declining Cardiac Health

An assay developed by a California-based laboratory that determines the levels of troponin could be used as a marker for declining cardiac heath. That’s the conclusion of a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology about a molecule-counting test developed by Singulex.

The study involved the testing of more than 4,100 blood samples of patients considered to have stable coronary artery disease. Those patients who had higher levels of troponin—a protein released into the body as the result of coronary damage—and underwent intensive therapy that included statins and other treatments saw their risk for cardiovascular death or heart failure drop by 3.5 percent. By comparison, those patients who only underwent statin therapy had just a minor decrease in such risks.

“Our findings support the potential broadening of a paradigm from viewing cardiac troponin solely as a transiently elevated diagnostic marker in the setting of acute injury to also using the information as a marker of ongoing heightened cardiovascular risk,” said Marc P. Bonaca, principal investigator of the study, in a statement. “This knowledge is particularly relevant in stable patients with ischemic heart disease, among whom there may be opportunities for more intensive preventive therapy.” Singulex focuses on testing related to cardiac health, and has five proprietary assays, including single molecule counting.