News and Information Related to Women's Health Issues. Learn about hormones, birth control, pregnancy, menopause, breast exams and much more.
A Member of the Healthscout Network
 Printer Friendly  Send to a Friend

Genetic Risk Score Doesn't Spot Heart Trouble in Women

But family history of early cardiovascular disease a risk factor, study found

TUESDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Using multiple genetic markers to create a risk score for cardiovascular disease doesn't work with women, a new study indicates.

U.S. researchers created genetic marker-based risk scores for 19,313 white women in the Women's Genome Health Study. The genetic risk scores were constructed using the National Human Genome Research Institute's catalog of genome-wide association study results published between 2005 and 2009.

Advertisement
Related Stories
 border=
Talks With Plastic Surgeon Urged Before Mastectomy
Even After Leaving Abuser, Moms' Mental Health Declines
Casual Sex Can Lead to Long-Term Relationships: Study
Related Videos
 border=
How Do I Find a Good Bra Post-Mastectomy?
How Do I Deal with Hair Loss After Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer?
How Do I Talk to My Doctor About Medical Options After a Breast Cancer Diagnosis?
Related Slides
 border=
Pelvic Inflam Disease
Placenta Abruptio
PMS
Related Encyclopedia
 border=
Amenorrhea
Amniocentesis
Amniocentesis and CVS


Over a median follow-up of 12.3 years, there were 777 cardiovascular disease events (199 heart attacks, 203 strokes, 63 cardiovascular deaths, 312 coronary artery revascularizations) among the women.

There was no evidence that genetic-based risk scores predicted cardiovascular disease risk. However, a family history of premature heart attack was found to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, wrote Nina P. Paynter, of Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues.

The findings "confirm the importance of family history of cardiovascular disease, which integrates shared genetics, shared behaviors and environmental factors," the researchers wrote.

The study is published in the Feb. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

More information

The American Heart Association has more about cardiovascular disease.

-- Robert Preidt

SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, news release, Feb. 16, 2010

Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Last updated 2/16/2010



Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and does not serve as a replacement for care provided by your own personal health care team. This website does not render or provide medical advice, and no individual should make any medical decisions or change their health behavior based on information provided here. All pertinent content provided on this website should be discussed with your personal physician to evaluate whether it has any relevance to or impact on your specific condition. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.


Sep 6, 2010
Home
Search
Powered By HealthLine
New! For timely and trustworth health information, expert advice and much more, visit Breast Cancer Connection
Patient Guide
News
Health Videos
Health Encyclopedia
Health News Archive
Affiliate Information
HealthScout Network
Contact Us
Newsletters
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health
information:
verify here.
About The HealthScout Network Contact Us
Copyright © 2001. The HealthCentralNetwork, Inc. All rights reserved.
Privacy Policy  Terms of Service  

To find more information on specific conditions, please visit our partner sites: