This blood test uses age, sex and gene expression measurements to safely & quickly determine whose chest pain is the result of obstructive coronary artery disease (clogged arteries).
Certain patients are candidates for this blood test, called the Corus CAD (coronary artery disease).
They are: not diabetic; have not been diagnosed with a previous heart attack; are not suspected of having a heart attack at the moment; have not had coronary artery bypass surgery; are not currently taking chemotherapeutic drugs, immune-suppressing drugs or steroid prescription drugs.
Chest pain is a very common symptom of obstructive heart disease, the so-called clogged arteries.
Another typical symptom is shortness of breath. The Corus CAD blood test results are available in 72 hours and can be done in a doctor’s office.
Why isn’t the Corus CAD test recommended for the general population of non-diabetics who experience chest pain?
Being it’s a simple blood draw, why not just give it to everyone as part of their physical as well?
“The Corus® CAD test is not a screening test, so it should not be used in the general population, but should be focused only in those patients with specific signs and symptoms suggestive of obstructive coronary artery disease,” explains David N. Smith, MD, a board certified cardiologist with Dynamic Health in Charlotte, NC.
“The diagnostic accuracy of this test has proven it is an exclusionary test that truly outperforms current noninvasive diagnostic testing such as nuclear stress test for helping rule out obstructive CAD in patients.
“In symptomatic patients with scores 15 or lower, this test accurately rules out obstructive coronary artery disease in a greater proportion of people than any other current test, thus potentially saving patients with low scores from having to undergo unnecessary invasive procedures such as a cardiac catheterization.
“A ‘non-low score,’ defined as greater than 15, corresponds to a higher likelihood of obstructive CAD.
“But since the test was not designed to be a ‘rule-in’ test, it should not be used to rule in patients for obstructive coronary artery disease.”
Other notable causes of chest pain are acid reflux, esophageal spasm and musculoskeletal issues (namely, a muscle spasm or inflammation of the cartilage near the sternum—the chest pain can be significant).
