Irish scientists are working on a new test, which may improve the treatment of people at risk of suffering a heart attack.

The test has already been trialled on 400 patients.

It centres on the treatment of heart disease, which can increase the risk of a heart attack. With heart disease, platelets, which are small particles in the blood, can clump together and cause a heart attack. However, anti-platelet medication, such as aspirin, which is often prescribed to people to help prevent this, can result in major side-effects in up to 30% of patients.

The test has been developed by scientists from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and Dublin City University (DCU), in collaboration with NUIG and medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson). It identifies those who may be at risk of side-effects from anti-platelet medication.

"This diagnostic tool will add to the ability of doctors to test patients at risk of heart attacks, to guide preventative anti-platelet medication such as aspirin. It has already proven to be a powerful tool in a laboratory setting and we look forward to harnessing the expert technology to make this testing widely available, ensuring the optimum treatment for patients," commented Prof Dermot Kenny of the RCSI.

The test is known as DPFA (dynamic platelet function assay). The scientists are now working on translating the current lab-based version into a more convenient and faster test, which can be used on more patients.