THE ESSENTIAL
- Heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide
- A study of 2,000 participants will be conducted to determine if markers of these diseases can be spotted in DNA
- The objective is to have new prevention tools against these diseases
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. In the United States, it is even estimated that one in two Americans will suffer from a heart problem during their lifetime. But apart from the risk factors related to lifestyle, would there be genetic markers that make it possible to evaluate for each the probability of being affected by a heart disease and thus to improve prevention?
DNA samples taken from 2,000 participants
This is the question that should be answered by a study which has just been launched in the United States and which will make it possible, over a period of ten years, to identify possible genetic markers of heart disease. DNA samples from 2,000 participants, men and women aged 40 to 60 who had no history of heart disease, will be taken and sequenced. Throughout the duration of this study, participants’ heart health and any changes in lifestyle or medical treatment will be reviewed annually.
For earlier prevention
“I hope that with the results of this study, we will be able to save even more lives in the future by implementing genetic testing for early prevention of coronary heart disease,” said Robert Roberts, Medical Director from Dignity Health Arizona, which initiated this work.
When the genotyping of their DNA is completed, the already known genetic markers of cardiovascular risk will make it possible to classify the participants according to their low, medium or high risk of developing heart disease. But other factors will also be taken into account for this determination of the level of risk, such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, smoking and physical activity.