Breath Test for Heart Failure?

An experimental test may eventually help to diagnose heart failure. The test uses a person’s exhaled breath. Molecules in the breath are analyzed using a technique called mass spectrometry. Certain molecules and combinations of molecules can signal heart failure. The test was done on 77 patients. Some had already been diagnosed with heart failure. Others did not have signs of heart failure. The test identified all of the heart-failure patients. Doctors say the test may one day be useful in primary-care physicians’ offices. It is still in the early stages of development. The study was published March 25 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. HealthDay News wrote about it.