If you have ever diagnosed a state of health, a biomarker is involved, even if you have never heard the word. Biomarkers help health service providers to identify, monitor and determine the risk of diseases – including heart disease, the most common cause of death for women in the USA
Biomarkers also play a major role in the development of medication and treatment options for health states such as cancer. Here you will find more about the fascinating world of biomarkers and what you need to know about biomarker tests.
What is a biomarker?
A biomarker is a biological substance or a sign that can be measured to evaluate health and illness. Biomarkers can be molecules, proteins, genes and other properties in blood, body fluids or tissue.
An example of a biomarker is blood sugar (sugar). High or fluctuating blood sugar level is a sign of diabetes. A health service provider can use the blood sugar level to advance a diagnosis and the best treatment plan for the treatment of the condition.
More examples of biomarkers can:
- Blood pressure
- Heart rate
- Body temperature
- cholesterol
Why are biomarkers important?
Biomarkers are important for many reasons. On the one hand, you can help identify underlying conditions and illnesses – sometimes before the symptoms begin. Biomarkers also help to predict how serious a disease is and how the right treatment plan is to be chosen. For example, some biomarkers have an impact on how cancer treatments work. A biomarker test can help to lead the treatment and personalized medicine that are tailored to the biomarkers in your body.
Biomarkers play a major role in developing new treatments and medication against health states. Researchers can use biomarkers to measure important factors such as the security of the drug, the dosage, and who is most likely benefited from the treatment.
What are the types of biomarkers?
Due to their purpose, biomarkers belong to different groups. This includes:
- Susceptibility/risk – used to identify the potential for the development of a state of health
- Diagnosis – used to confirm or identify a state
- Forecast – used to determine the risk of illness and the possibility of recurring and progress for people with a state of health
- Monitoring – used to pursue the progress of a state or treatment
- Predict – used to predict how advantageous treatment can be
- Pharmacodynamic/reaction – used to show changes in response to treatment
- Security – is used to monitor side effects from treatment
What are biomarker tests?
Biomarker tests are used to measure biomarkers in blood, body fluids or tissue. These tests can include:
- Blood tests
- Tissue
- Medical imaging
- Gene tests
- Urine tests
- Saliva test
The results help health service providers to identify conditions and can be helpful depending on the condition before, during and after a diagnosis.
Women and biomarker
Biomarkers can also help identify the health states specific to women. For example, certain protein biomarkers can help identify gynecological cancer, endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). And biomarkers play a crucial role in the early detection and treatment of breast cancer.
Other biomarkers can include:
A recently carried out meta-analysis showed that Mirnas-Biomarker can identify the exact stage of ovarian cancer in early stages, which can lead to more personalized treatments and better results.
When it comes to heart disease, biomarkers can help to assess their risk of a great cardiovascular event. A recently carried out study showed that women with a high LDL cholesterol, LP (A) and C-reactive protein (CRP) have a heart attack about three times more often and have a stroke almost four times more often.
Biomarker
Biomarker tests are usually recommended or diagnosed for people who are at risk for health states such as cancer. However, testing cannot be recommended for everyone or covered by insurance. As always, talk to your health service provider about biomarker tests and whether this is an option for you.
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