Three Biomarkers, One Blood Draw: Predicting Heart Attack and Stroke Risk 30 Years Early
A 30-year study of nearly 28,000 women published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that a single blood test measuring hsCRP, LDL cholesterol, and lipoprotein(a) can predict major cardiovascular events decades in advance. Women elevated in all three markers faced 2.6 times the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death — and 3.7 times the risk of stroke specifically. The post explains how atherosclerosis develops, why chronic low-grade inflammation matters, and what each marker reveals about vascular health. It also reviews emerging treatments, from FDA-approved low-dose colchicine to experimental RNA therapies targeting the genetically fixed lipoprotein(a).