Curious About Your Heart Disease Risk?

Pssst, want a glimpse into the future of your health? Simply take your blood pressure in your ankle and then in your arm and compare them. The lower the difference is between the two, the lower your chances are for developing a heart disease, heart attack or stroke health diagnosis.

Researchers are thrilled with the improved accuracy of this new test, called the ankle brachial index, because similar tests have provided mixed results. In fact, the study suggested combining the ankle brachial index with another method currently used, called the Framingham risk score, to get a more comprehensive look at people’s heart disease risks.

When researchers tried the combination approach on study participants, about one in five men were eligible for a lower risk category, but one in three women ended up in a higher risk category. This discovery revealed that some men were getting treatment they didn’t need, whereas some women were not getting the treatment they needed. [The New York Times]