• Genes and health
• Conditions we cover
• Heart Attack
• Complete scan
• Cancer scan
• Cardio scan
• Advanced features

The deCODEme genetic risk test compares your genetic sequence to that of participants in studies, published in the world literature, on genetic risk for coronary heart disease and heart attack.

The scan for genetic risk offered by deCODEme is based on the best science available

Testing yourself for risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack is a personal and private decision

Making the choice to test yourself for the common genetic variants associated with coronary heart disease and risk of heart attack is a personal and private decision. At deCODEme, we respect your decision and value your trust, and we want you to know, that our scientists select only the best, most reliable, science on which to base your results. Needless to say, the security and privacy of your results is one of our biggest priorities.

The deCODEme genetic test for heart attack risk is based on solid science

Quality is of utmost importance when you select a provider for personal genetic testing and we are confident that deCODEme is exceptional when compared to rival products. Our customers benefit directly from the expertise of scientists at deCODE Genetics, a company with an unparalleled track record in gene discovery for common diseases.

We strive to make our genetic scans as comprehensive and reliable as possible. Thus, for any given disease, we measure all the most important genetic risk variants (SNPs) that are supported by solid scientific evidence.

Here´s how it works!

deCODEme calculates your genetic risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack

The deCODEme scan for coronary heart disease and heart attack focuses primarily on identifying the common genetic risk variants associated with coronary heart disease. The deCODEme Complete Scan and the deCODEme Cardio Scan identify eight common genetic variants associated with an increased risk of heart attack; one variant on each of the following chromosomes (genes): 2 (WDR12), 3 (MRAS), 6 (PHACTR1), 9 (CDKN2A/CDKN2B) and 10 (CXCL12) and two variants on chromosomes 1 (one near the CELSR2/PSRC1 genes and another in the MIA3 gene) and 12 (one in the SH2B3 gene and another in the BRAP gene). The variant near the CDKN2A/2B genes is a particularly strong risk factor for early-onset heart attacks (occurring earlier than 50 years of age in men and 60 years of age in women). See scientific details for more information.

The deCODEme genetic scan for coronary heart disease evaluates risk

It is important to understand that the deCODEme test for coronary heart disease and heart attack evaluates your genetic risk. As such, it tells you how your genetic profile compares to those of large numbers of people in studies of the genetics of coronary heart disease and heart attack. The deCODEme genetic scan is not a diagnostic test, in that it will not tell you whether you already have coronary heart disease nor can it tell you with certainty whether you will, or will not, develop the disease or experience a heart attack in the future.

What the deCODEme genetic scan can do, is help you evaluate your life-time risk of developing coronary heart disease and heart attack compared to the risk of an average person from the population to which you belong.

Your genetic risk sheds additional light on your overall risk of coronary heart disease

You may wonder how you can use the results of the deCODEme genetic risk evaluation? To calculate risk of coronory heart disease and heart attack, physicians currently use algorithms such as the famous Framingham Risk Score, where different risk factors for heart attacks (age, gender, cholesterol, high blood pressure, smoking) are put into a calculator that yields an estimate of your chance of getting a heart attack in the next ten years.

The Framingham risk estimate does not take into account family history of coronary heart disease, which is reflected in one’s DNA. By adding your genetic risk information to that provided by risk estimates such as the Framingham algorithm, you and your physician can get a clearer picture of your overall risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack.

Test your knowledge of coronary heart disease and heart attack

You can test your knowledge of coronary heart disease and heart attack by visiting the American Heart Association´s interactive Web site. Take their test and learn more about your coronary heart disease risk and how to lower it.

Calculate your Framingham Risk Score.

Test your Cholestorol IQ, and try other Healthy Heart Quizzes on the American Heart Association´s Web site.

This content was last reviewed on February 09, 2010.

The conditions we cover: ABO Blood Types, Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, Age Related Macular Degeneration, Alcohol Flush Reaction, Alzheimer’s Disease, Asthma, Atrial Fibrillation, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Bitter Taste Perception, Bladder Cancer, Brain Aneurysm, Brain Cancer-Glioma, Breast Cancer, Celiac Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Colorectal Cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Essential Tremor, Exfoliation Glaucoma, Eye Color, Gallstones, Gout, Heart Attack, Hemochromatosis, Hypertension, Kidney Stones, Lactose Intolerance, Lung Cancer, Male Pattern Baldness, Multiple Sclerosis, Nicotine Dependence, Obesity, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Peripheral Arterial Disease, Prostate Cancer, Psoriasis, Restless Legs Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Statin Induced Myopathy, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Testicular Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Ulcerative Colitis, Venous Thromboembolism, Warfarin Metabolism.