Understanding Genetic Risk of MI
Common diseases such as coronary heart disease and myocardial infarction (MI) occur at the interface of genes and the environment, as both inherited as well as lifestyle and other health risk factors play important roles in the disease process. As a result, it is important to understand what carrying an inherited risk variant for a common disease means, and how that information can be used to motivate and influence decisions and actions taken towards prevention and specific treatments when appropriate.
In the most basic terms, carrying a genetic risk variant for a common disease does not mean that one will necessarily develop the disease; and not having a certain risk variant does not eliminate the possibility of getting the disease. Rather, for the common diseases, genetic risk variants impact the likelihood that one may develop the disease. Understanding this inherited risk is empowering information with potentially important clinical utility. This is particularly true in a disease like MI and other cardiovascular diseases, in which specific lifestyle and health factors are known to play such an important part. By understanding ones risks, it is possible to take preventive action through lifestyle modification or by taking certain medications – to minimize the likelihood of an individual ever developing a disease. A good example of this is high cholesterol, which is commonly treated using statin drugs to reduce the risk of heart disease.
According to deCODE’s research the effect of the identified genetic risk variants on chromosome 9 appears to be in addition to and independent of other known risk factors such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes or elevated blood cholesterol. The overall risk for MI may be decreased through lifestyle interventions and specific treatments of disorders such as high cholesterol and hypertension. For a patient who carries the deCODE MI risk variants, management of these other factors may be even more important in the context of genetic predisposition.
deCODE MI™ is the first test ever offered that detects a common genetic variant associated with increased risk of MI. deCODE MI™ detects a version of a single SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) – a one letter variation in the sequence of the genome that deCODE has linked to increased risk of MI. In deCODE’s findings, published in June 2007 and validated in thousands of people over 10 independent populations, 20-22% of the general population have been shown to carry two copies of the risk variants (a positive test); approximately twice that number of patients suffering early MI (< 50 years for males and < 60 for females) are positive for the test. In other words, having two copies of the risk variant - a positive result for the deCODE MI™ test – has been shown to correspond to an approximately 2 fold increase in likelihood of early onset MI. It is also appears to be a risk factor for MI in general regardless of age with a 1.6 fold risk. (We all have two copies of each chromosome in every cell in our bodies. We inherit one copy from our mother, and one from our father.)
deCODE MI™ is performed in deCODE’s CLIA-registered laboratory. It has not been cleared or approved by FDA but has been analytically and clinically validated according to CLIA standards. The test can only be ordered by qualified physicians and medical practitioners. If you are a doctor or medical professional, we invite you to learn more and how to order the test for your patients.