A saliva test for heart failure

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) researcher Associate Professor Chamindie Punyadeera has won a $75,000 Heart Foundation Vanguard Grant to assist with the development of a non-invasive screening method for heart failure. The aim of her research project is to produce a test that is quick and easy to administer, by screening saliva instead of blood.

Professor Punyadeera explained that heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump blood around the body. It has multiple causes — including obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, history of heart attacks and a family history of heart failure — and costs the Australian healthcare system $685 million a year, or 9% of the country’s health budget.

“It’s a condition that lowers quality of life drastically,” Professor Punyadeera said. “People with heart failure can’t walk far, they have swollen legs from a build-up of fluid that are prone to ulcers, they experience fatigue from not having enough oxygen carried through the body, and heart failure can lead to kidney damage.

“It’s a silent killer, because it is asymptomatic in its early stages and people ignore it — but heart failure can become life-threatening if not treated.

“At the moment, identifying patients who need hospitalisation is not adequate.”

Professor Punyadeera is looking to rectify this by investigating ways to test saliva samples for a protein called Galectin-3 — a biomarker specific for heart failure — and whether it can be used to predict complications or the need for hospitalisation.

“If the test finds elevated levels of Galectin-3, it could indicate the person needs medical attention,” she said.

“Using an e-health system, people with heart failure could be able to email the data from their saliva test to their GP, who could advise them on medication levels, saving a trip to a heart specialist.”

With the assistance of the Heart Foundation grant, Professor Punyadeera will trial her new testing method in conjunction with the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, the Mater Hospital and the Prince Charles Hospital. She says she hopes her test will provide “an accurate, quick and easy way for patients to know when they need hospital treatment”.

“The beauty of saliva is that you don’t need trained medical staff to collect a sample,” Professor Punyadeera said. “You can monitor your heart health in your own home, using non-invasive technology.”

Image credit: ©FreeImages.com/Walter Groesel

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