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DNA is not Destiny When it Comes to Heart Attack Risk

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In This Video

  • Using a polygenic score of DNA sequence polymorphisms, researchers quantified genetic risk for coronary artery disease in three prospective cohorts
  • Among participants at high genetic risk, a favorable lifestyle was associated with a nearly 50% lower relative risk of coronary artery disease than was an unfavorable lifestyle
  • They determined adherence to a healthy lifestyle among the participants using a scoring system consisting of four factors: no current smoking, no obesity, regular physical activity and a healthy diet

A large scale genetic study led by Sekar Kathiresan, MD, of the Massachusetts General Hospital Center for Genomic Medicine, has found that having a favorable lifestyle in terms of weight, physical activity, not smoking and eating a healthy diet can help individuals with a high genetic risk of having a heart attack reduce their risk by over 50 percent. Dr. Kathiresan is the Ofer and Shelly Nemirovsky MGH Research Scholar.

Refer a patient to the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center

Learn more about Dr. Kathiresan's Lab

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