Blood test shown to predict heart disease in diabetics

Individuals who have diabetes are at a much greater risk of developing heart disease and often must buy Plavix in order to control their risk of heart attack or stroke. Now, a new study has shown that a simple blood test may help determine which diabetics are at the greatest risk for these types of problems.

After studying nearly 25,000 men and women for more than 10 years, the researchers found that adding HbA1c testing to an individual's health risk assessment improved the accuracy with which someone was placed into a high-risk category by 20 percent.

The testing method was particularly useful in women, as the researchers found that it led to a more than 20 percent increase in accuracy of heart disease prediction.

Currently, heart disease risk can be difficult to predict in diabetics. While the metabolic condition is considered a major risk factor for cardiovascular health problems, many diabetics never end up developing heart disease. However, the findings suggest that HbA1c testing, which is a measure of long-term blood sugar control, could help identify more individuals who are at risk.