The best practices for genetic testing for the management of cardiovascular diseases that are inherited have been outlined by the American Heart Association (AHA).
The outline was published in the journal Circulation: Genomic and Precision Medicine in July, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) reported.
"In some cases, it might be possible to act early and prevent the disease," Dr. Kiran Musunuru, chair of the statement’s writing group, told APhA. "In other cases, having the mutation for a genetically caused cardiovascular condition might lead to different and possibly more aggressive treatment."
But when an individual inherits a mutation, it can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
"Although genetic testing has seen explosive growth in the past few years, both in the clinical setting and with direct-to-consumer testing, genetic testing for heart disease should be reserved for specific patients," Musunuru told APhA.
The AHA also suggest health care providers should consider cardiomyopathies, thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections, arrhythmias and familial hypercholesterolemia before recommending a patient take a genetic test for cardiovascular disease.
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