ST2, a new lab test to predict heart failure, has been launched by SRL Diagnostics in Hyderabad.  ST2 is a novel promising biomarker for monitoring and prognosis of heart failure patients. This new test is launched by SRL Diagnostics for the first time in India.

ST2 is ELISA based test which is a US FDA approved technology and was included in 2013 ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of heart failure.  It has been extensively evaluated with more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and scientific posters studying more than 35,000 patients. So far, SRL Diagnostics has collected 100 samples for predicting the heart failure, informed Dr. B.R. Das president-research & innovation, Mentor-Molecular Pathology and Clinical Research Services, SRL Diagnostics Limited.

Earlier, the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force jointly released its expanded clinical practice guideline for the management of patients with heart failure and has identified ST2 as most effective in predicting patients with heart failure.

With the launch of this new lab test ST2, it is now possible to help predict risks of coronary heart disease by finding a specific biomarker in the bloodstream. “This test provides accurate solutions with ethical standards and care. SRL Diagnostics is the first ever diagnostic lab in India to have launched this key medical test,” said, Dr. B.R. Das.

Currently this new test is available at all the Fortis Labs/ SRL Diagnostics Labs and its collection centres. The cost of this heart failure prediction test is marked at Rs.1600.

At present, ST2 is the only marker available in India for predicting prognosis in heart failure cases and SRL Diagnostics is the only service provider of this medical test in the country. Unlike many other cardiac biomarkers, ST2 is faster thus helping physicians make informed decisions on an appropriate course of action to take and if needed, to quickly adjust treatment. It can reduce 30-day re-hospitalisation rates by 17.3 per cent and also reduce 30-day mortality rates by 17.6 per cent, informed Dr. Das.

According to statistics, the prevalence of heart failure in India due to coronary heart disease, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and rheumatic heart disease is expected to range from 1.3 to 4.6 million with an annual incidence of 4,91,600 to 1.8 million in the coming years. Therefore with advanced tests like ST2, this would definitely help doctors to predict patients with heart failure and provide them treatment in advance to avoid heart attacks.