A test that measures blood levels of a molecule produced by heart muscle appears to be a strong indicator of future cardiac problems among healthy older people, Dutch researchers report.The test for the molecule, whose jaw-breaking name is “N-amino terminal fragment of the prohormone brain natriuretic peptide” (NT-proBNP), revealed information about the possibility of major heart problems and death “beyond traditional risk factors,” the scientists said.The findings appear in the April 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
