Genomics researchers at the Scripp Research Translational Institute have developed a mobile application that is capable of calculating the genetic risk of suffering heart attacks.
The application called MyGeneRank can predict a person's genetic risk of having a heart attack. A study on this technological and medical advance was published in npj Digital Medicine.
The study details that the development of MyGeneRank required information from 23andMe, a genetic testing company, and the participation of 721 people. The data collected was on the risk of coronary heart disease based on DNA data from the participants.
The study shows that participants with high-risk scores were more likely to use cholesterol-lowering therapies, compared to participants with low scores.
"We observed approximately twice the rate of statin initiation in the high genetic risk group versus the low genetic risk group, indicating that strategies such as this could make a large contribution to public health, as heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide,” explained study lead author Dr. Ali Torkamani, director of Genomics and Genome Informatics at Scripps Research Translational Institute.
In this sense, the method consisted of alerting the participants about their risk of having a heart attack through the mobile app. This represents a model that can be replicated to promote health care and an early approach to medical care and possible diagnosis.
For his part, Dr. Evan Muse, cardiologist, leader of cardiovascular genomics at the Institute and co-author of the study, explained that: "We now have the opportunity to integrate a person's genetics into their evaluation of cardiovascular health to help them better understand their individualized risk and empower them to make necessary modifications, including the addition of statin therapy, to their risk factor optimization plans.”
Torkamani explains that when a person knows their genetic risk, even if it is low, they can generate a change in their lifestyle, such as a better diet or physical activity.
Learn more about this application in the following link: https://mygenerank.scripps.edu/
