Research by scientists at Population Health Research and McMaster University has made the list of American Heart Association’s top heart disease and stroke research advances of 2018. The study, published in the AHA journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine, researchers found that developing a risk score that measures 182 variants associated with coronary artery disease may more reliably identify people at risk for early-onset coronary artery disease (EOCAD) who need aggressive preventive treatment.
The authors of the publication, “Polygenic contribution in individuals with early-onset coronary artery disease” are Drs. Sébastien Thériault , Ricky Lali , Michael Chong , James L. Velianou , Madhu K. Natarajan , and Guillaume Paré.
The study’s results suggest a significant polygenic contribution in individuals presenting with EOCAD, which could be more prevalent than familial hypercholesterolemia. Determination of the polygenic risk component could be included in the diagnostic workup of patients with EOCAD.
The AHA, one of the top funders of heart- and stroke-related research worldwide, has been compiling an annual list of major advances in heart disease and stroke science since 1996.
