Cardiovascular disease is a result of genetic factors, environmental exposure, and lifestyle choices. In the genomic era, clinicians are able to add an important new tool, genetic risk assessment, to existing modalities for diagnosis of these complex, multifactorial diseases.
A number of genes have already been associated with cardiovascular diseases and disorders.1-3 Some are currently evaluated when assessing cardiac conditions or considering care plans:
Genetics at CardioDx
CardioDx employs state-of-the-art techniques and processes to identify genetic markers useful in quantitatively classifying patients at high or low risk of disease. These methods are incorporated in the DISCERN clinical research program, focused on identifying patients at risk for ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.
Genome-wide-association–studies (GWAS) enable the analysis of the more than one million known single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering the approximately 25,000 known human genes. CardioDx applies additional genetic tools in the development of our genetic tests. These include custom SNP chips and DNA sequencing.
- Ginsburg GS, Donahue MP, Newby LK. Prospects for personalized cardiovascular medicine: the impact of genomics. J Am Coll Cardiol. Nov 1 2005;46(9):1615-1627.
- Samir B. Damani, and Eric J. Topol E, Damani S. Future Use of Genomics in Coronary Artery Disease. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2007;50;1933-1940; originally published online Oct 29, 2007; doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2007.07.062
- Arnett D, Baird A, et al. Relevance of Genetics and Genomics for Prevention and Treatment of cardiovascular Disease. Circulation. 2007;115;2878-2901; originally published online May 21, 2007; DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.183679.
