Genetic risk of MI
Common diseases 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 develop and implement disease prevention strategies that can effectively reduce the likelihood of an individual ever developing the disease. The deCODE MI™ test can only be ordered by qualified physicians and medical practitioners.
If you are an individual interested in deCODE MI™, you can sit down with your doctor and/or continue through this site.
In 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. This is particularly true in a disease like heart disease, in which specific lifestyle and health factors are known to play such an important part.
By understanding inherited risk, it may be possible to take preventive action – through lifestyle modification or by taking certain medications – to maximize the chances of staying healthier longer. This is similar to the approach that is taken to address other risk factors for common diseases, such as high cholesterol, which is commonly treated using statin drugs to reduce the risk of heart disease.