Test tracks heart failure at home

Scientists have developed a new test strip that could allow heart failure patients to monitor their condition at home.

Such patients require close monitoring to ensure timely treatment adjustment and to prevent emergencies.

This monitoring often has to happen in hospitals which have trained personnel and sophisticated laboratory equipment to test the levels of the antigens associated with heart failure. This is, however, set to change, thanks to a simple test that now allows doctors and patients to track the antigen levels at the office or at home. The paper-based test requires only a small blood sample that is put on the strip.

A blue dot appears on the strip if the blood contains an antigen called ST2, while the strip shows a green dot if the blood contains an antigen called BNP.

The higher the levels of these antigens, the more intense the colours on the strip, thus indicating that the patient’s heart failure is becoming worse. A smartphone app then analyses the strip and sends the results to the patient’s doctor who can then adjust the patient’s treatment.

The paper test closely matched results of conventional techniques. The study was published in the journal ACS Nano.