How Genomic Research is Changing Heart Care

Genomic testing is most frequently associated with cancer testing, but this area of research is beginning to make an impact on cardiovascular care. A recent scientific statement by the American Heart Association shined a spotlight on how the expressed genome can potentially be used to diagnose diseases and predict who will develop diseases such as coronary artery disease (CAD), stroke, heart failure, and arrhythmias. According to the statement, scientists now have the ability to address disease at many levels that were inaccessible during the past century. This includes the genome, transcriptome, epigenome, proteome, metabolome, cells, tissues, and organs. The authors said each of the omics approaches is still a work in progress, and many of the initial findings have not yet been validated via the systematic replication in independent studies. "Nonetheless, we can expect the next five to 10 years to witness enormous progress in the application of the approaches to the study of specific cardiovascular diseases in patients," the authors wrote. "A critical step to facilitate the eventual widespread use of the expressed genome in the clinic is the funding of large-scale efforts to validate, replicate, and integrate the information streams arising from various omics studies such as the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's (NHLBI) Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine Program." As that happens, the authors added, a host of new disease biomarkers should emerge and find applicat...
Source: MDDI - Category: Medical Devices Authors: Tags: IVD Cardiovascular Source Type: news