A genetic risk score predicts recurrent events after myocardial infarction in young adults

Predictive capacity of a genetic risk score for coronary artery disease in assessing recurrences and cardiovascular mortality among patients with myocardial infarction

Aim

This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of a genetic risk score (GRS) for coronary artery disease (CAD) independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors to assess the risk of recurrence in patients with first myocardial infarction. The secondary aim was to determine the predictive value of this GRS.

Methods

We performed a meta-analysis of individual data from three studies, namely, a prospective study including 75 patients aged <55 years, a prospective study including 184 patients with a mean age of 60.5 years, and a case-control study (77 cases and 160 controls) nested in a cohort of patients with first myocardial infarction. A GRS including 12 CAD genetic variants independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors was developed. The outcome was a composite of cardiovascular mortality and recurrent acute coronary syndrome.

Results

The GRS was associated with a higher risk of recurrence [hazard ratio = 1.24; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.47]. The inclusion of the GRS in the clinical model did not increase the model's discriminative capacity (change in C-statistic/area under the curve: 0.009; 95% CI: -0.007 to 0.025) but improved its reclassification (continuous net reclassification index: 0.29; 95% CI: 0.08-0.51).

Conclusion

The GRS for CAD, independent of classical cardiovascular risk factors, was associated with a higher risk of recurrence in patients with first myocardial infarction. The predictive capacity of this GRS identified a subgroup of high-risk patients who could benefit from intensive preventive strategies.

Polygenic risk scores: An overview from bench to bedside for personalised medicine

Since the first polygenic risk score (PRS) in 2007, research in this area has progressed significantly. The increasing number of SNPs that have been identified by large scale GWAS analyses has fuelled the development of a myriad of PRSs for a wide variety of diseases and, more recently, to PRSs that potentially identify differential response to specific drugs. PRSs constitute a composite genomic biomarker and potential applications for PRSs in clinical practice encompass risk prediction and disease screening, early diagnosis, prognostication, and drug stratification to improve efficacy or reduce adverse drug reactions. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, no PRSs have yet been adopted into routine clinical practice. Beyond the technical considerations of PRS development, the major challenges that face PRSs include demonstrating clinical utility and circumnavigating the implementation of novel genomic technologies at scale into stretched healthcare systems. In this review, we discuss progress in developing disease susceptibility PRSs across multiple medical specialties, development of pharmacogenomic PRSs, and future directions for the field.

Genetic Risk Score for Coronary Heart Disease: Review

The present review deals with the stages of creation, methods of calculation, and the use of a genetic risk score for coronary heart disease in various populations. The concept of risk factors is generally recognized on the basis of the results of epidemiological studies in the 20th century; according to this concept, the high prevalence of diseases of the circulatory system is due to lifestyle characteristics and associated risk factors. An important and relevant task for the healthcare system is to identify the population segments most susceptible to cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The level of individual risk of an unfavorable cardiovascular prognosis is determined by genetic factors in addition to lifestyle factors.

Cellular Mechanisms of Human Atherogenesis: Focus on Chronification of Inflammation and Mitochondrial Mutations

Atherosclerosis is one of the most common diseases of the cardiovascular system that leads to the development of life-threatening conditions, such as heart attack and stroke. Arthrosclerosis affects various arteries in the human body, but is especially dangerous in the arteries alimenting heart and brain, aorta, and arteries of the lower limbs. By its pathophysiology, atherosclerosis is an inflammatory disease. During the pathological process, lesions of arterial intima in the form of focal thickening are observed, which form atherosclerotic plaques as the disease progresses further. Given the significance of atherosclerosis for the global health, the search for novel effective therapies is highly prioritized. However, despite the constant progress, our understanding of the mechanisms of atherogenesis is still incomplete. One of the remaining puzzles in atherosclerosis development is the focal distribution of atherosclerotic lesions in the arterial wall. It implies the existence of certain mosaicism within the tissue, with some areas more susceptible to disease development than others, which may prove to be important for novel therapy development. There are many hypotheses explaining this phenomenon, for example, the influence of viruses, and the spread in the endothelium of the vessel multinucleated giant endothelial cells. We suggest the local variations of the mitochondrial genome as a possible explanation of this mosaicism. In this review, we discuss the role of genetic variations in the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes that influence the development of atherosclerosis. Changes in the mitochondrial and nuclear genome have been identified as independent factors for the development of the disease, as well as potential diagnostic markers.