A simple scoring system could revolutionize how doctors prevent heart attacks and strokes by identifying patients most likely to benefit from preventive medications, according to a new study which is published in the journal Circulation Research, informs the University of Reading.

The breakthrough test, called the TRIPLE Score, measures specific proteins on blood platelets along with the patient's age to help doctors make more informed decisions about prescribing blood-thinning medications such as aspirin and clopidogrel.

Currently, blood-thinning drugs are only given to patients who have already had a heart attack or stroke because these medications can cause serious bleeding in some people. Without a reliable way to predict who might benefit versus who might be harmed, doctors have been unable to prescribe these potentially life-saving drugs preventively to at-risk patients.

The test, which is not yet widely available, is being developed so that it can eventually be used at the point-of-care. This will then be implemented in patient studies to verify that the test can improve their care.

"Around 100,000 heart attacks occur each year in the UK, despite significant progress in preventing them. We must think of smarter ways to use drugs like aspirin if we are going to bring this number down. Our new test will help doctors make sure that patients receive the best treatment and keep their quality of life. Next, we aim to make the test even easier to use by developing a finger prick test, so that it as simple as measuring blood glucose," said Dr. Alexander Bye, lead author of the research at the University of Reading.