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But there has never been a way to measure the impact clinically. Now scientists at Emory University in the US have found that the level of the protein troponin rises in the blood when a person is dangerously stressed, because the heart is not getting enough oxygen. "Doctors may eventually use this information to prevent serious complications from developing." Dr Arshed Quyyumi, Emory University Researchers say that testing troponin levels could be a quick was of identifying people at risk of heart problems, even when they do not appear to have any other risk factors, such as high cholesterol. Patients could then be offered medication of therapy to help reduce their stress levels. "We've always believed that stress can be harmful to cardiac health,”said lead study author Dr Arshed Quyyumi, professor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia. “We now show that this harm is also reflected by elevated levels of circulating troponin in the circulation. "With this study, for the first time doctors have a way to measure that impact with a high sensitive troponin test. “Because we and others have shown that a higher circulating level of troponin is associated with worse long term outcomes such as heart attack or even death, doctors may eventually use this information to prevent serious complications from developing." Troponin in a protein which is released in large amounts when the heart is damaged, and is currently used by doctors to determine whether someone has had a heart attack. A man suffers a heart attack People at risk of a heart attack could be offered drugs or therapy Credit: Alamy /Alamy The more damage there is to the heart, the greater the amount troponin will be in the blood. But the new study shows the troponin levels are already rising before heart problems have begun and are directly linked to rising stress levels. To test the link scientists evaluated 587 patients with heart problems were asked to take part in mental and physical stress tests. The mental health test involved speaking in public while the physical involved exercising. The experiment showed that one third of patients suffered an inadequate flow of oxygen to the heart when stressed which could be spotted through elevated levels of troponin. "Until now, doctors have never had a way of measuring the impact of stress on the heart so that we have the necessary information to begin to address the problem," said Dr Agim Beshiri, M.D., senior medical director of diagnostics company Abbott, which already provides troponin testing for the NHS. "By using Abbott's high sensitive troponin test, now doctors may have objective information to better treat their patients -- helping to prevent or treat additional cardiac issues that could result from stress." 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