Thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented every year after scientists made a genes breakthrough.

A simple spit test could allow medics to detect those at a much greater risk of high blood pressure.

Professor Punyadeera will conduct a trial of testing saliva for heart failure in conjunction with the Royal Women’s Brisbane Hospital, the Mater and Prince Charles hospitals. “The beauty of saliva is that you don’t need trained medical staff to collect a sample. You can monitor your heart health in your own home, using non-invasive technology,” Professor Punyadeera said.
“Using an e-health system, people with heart failure could be able to email the data from their saliva test to their GP who could advise them on medication levels, saving a trip to a heart specialist.”

Source: The Heart Foundation

[https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/research-project/a-spit-test-for-heart-failure](https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/research-project/a-spit-test-for-heart-failure)