HIDDEN FACTOR IN CARDIAC EPISODES

SCIENTISTS have discovered why up to half of all heart attacks and strokes occur among apparently healthy people who don't have any "standard modifiable risk factors" what doctors call "SMURFS."

- 

SMuRFs include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which up your risk for cardiovascular disease.

A new study by Mass General Brigham researchers found that hsCRP — a marker of inflammation — can help identify women who are at risk for cardiovascular issues but are SMuRF-less, which means their risk is missed by standard screening tools.