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Dr. Michael Davidson talks about genetic tests and heart attacks

Coronary heart disease begins early in life, long before symptoms appear.




Common genetic variants are associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack.




Knowing your overall risk can help you make the most of your preventive efforts.

Knowing your risk of coronary heart disease is the first step towards avoiding a heart attack

Coronary heart disease can result in a heart attack

The heart is a hard-working muscle that pumps blood throughout the body. To function properly, the heart muscle needs oxygen, which is supplied by the coronary arteries wrapped around the surface of the heart. In coronary heart disease, the build-up of fat, cholesterol, and other substances collectively referred to as plaque, on the inner lining of the coronary arteries causes them to become thicker, harder, and narrower. This disease process is known as atherosclerosis. If the build-up of plaque within a coronary artery cuts off blood flow to the heart muscle, a heart attack occurs.

A heart attack damages the heart muscle

A heart attack, also called myocardial infarction (MI), is a serious event. When a coronary artery is completely blocked a portion of the heart muscle is deprived of a necessary supply of oxygenated blood, which can cause serious damage in a matter of minutes. Depending on how much of the heart muscle is damaged, heart function can be anywhere from mildly to severely impaired. Severe heart attacks, accompanied by extensive damage to the heart muscle, can result in heart failure and even death.

deCODEme can calculate your genetic risk of heart attack

The deCODEme Complete Scan identifies nine common genetic variants associated with an increased risk of heart attack in people of European descent, located on the following chromosomes: 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 10, 12 and 21. The variant near the CDKN2A/2B genes on chromosome 9 is a particularly strong risk factor for early-onset heart attack (occurring earlier than 50 years of age in men and 60 years of age in women). A variant in the BRAP gene on chromosome 12 contributes to the risk of heart attack in East Asians but not people of European descent.

Preventing a heart attack starts with assessing your risk

The American Heart Association recommends that heart attack prevention should begin by age 20 and emphasizes that prevention starts with assessing your risk factors and working to keep your overall risk low.

Genetic risk is part of the overall risk of heart attack

Several studies have found evidence of a genetic contribution to coronary heart disease and heart attack. Knowing your genetic risk of heart attack can help you assess your overall risk, which is the first step in planning your preventive and heart-healthy lifestyle. Remember, that studies have shown that your lifestyle is your best defense against coronary heart disease and heart attack.

The deCODEme heart attack risk calculation identifies the variants listed above and uses them to provide customers of European descent with a personalized interpretation of their genetic risk for developing coronary heart disease and heart attack as well as early-onset heart attack (CDKN2A/CDKN2B).

In East Asians, the deCODEme genetic scan currently identifies the CDKN2A/2B gene variant on chromosome 9 and the BRAP gene variant on chromosome 12. See scientific details for more information.

At present, the necessary scientific information to interpret the genetic risk for individuals of other ethnicities is not available. This information will be added as soon as it becomes available and we are assured of its quality.

Please note that the deCODEme Genetic Scan does not identify rare gene variants linked to the inherited forms of coronary heart disease which greatly increase the risk of heart attack.

This content was last reviewed on February 08, 2010.

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