Biomarkers Provide Clues to Earlier Diagnoses

Tiny molecules in the bloodstream may help doctors identify heart disease sooner, which could lead to more timely treatments.

Published: August 17, 2007

Some of the smallest particles in the bloodstream are giving doctors a big boost in their efforts at diagnosing heart disease. Biomarkers, which are peptides and other small molecules that indicate the presence or activity of a disease, usually circulate in small, undetectable quantities. While biomarkers exist in healthy bodies, their numbers can grow once an organ is in a distressed or diseased state.