deCODE You

deCODEme takes on Heart Disease in February

February is American Heart Month. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the United States it is important to assess your genetic risk of developing Cardiovascular conditions. To mark this we have decided that during the month of February our deCODEme Cardio Scan™ will be offered for a promotional price of $100.

deCODEme Cardio Scan enables individuals to better understand their inherited risk of heart attack, stroke and atrial fibrillation, intracranial and abdominal aortic aneurysm, and venous thromboembolism.

Genetics contribute to the risk of Coronary heart disease and heart attacks

Coronary heart disease is a progressive disease that begins early in life but symptoms generally do not appear until middle age or later. Coronary heart disease is the main cause of death in the developed countries and it is estimated that over 1.35 million North Americans will as a result of coronary heart disease, have a heart attack in the year 2008.

Several studies have found evidence of a genetic contribution to CHD and heart attacks. Two common genetic variants have been discovered that are associated with an increased risk of heart attack; one variant near the CDKN2A/2B genes on chromosome 9 and another in the CELSR2/PSRC1 genes on chromosome 1. The variant near the CDKN2A/2B genes is a particularly strong risk factor for early-onset heart attacks (occurring earlier than 50 years of age in men and 60 years of age in women).

Adopting a heart-healthy lifestyle can reduce risk

Even though age, gender, and family history are unmodifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease and heart attacks, the risk of developing CHD and eventually a heart attack can be reduced with a lifestyle that includes physical activity, a heart-healthy diet, and no smoking.

After years of reading meters for the electric company, Cheryl Click won the Texas lottery, retired and purchased a cattle ranch. Now financially secure, Ms. Click is no longer rolling the dice with her health.

By Edward Weinman

Cheryl Click is rich beyond her wildest dreams. In the 1990s, she won the
Texas lottery, pocketing upwards of $27 million. After quitting her job at the electric company, this Texan with a glowing smile cashed in on her dreams and now owns various cattle ranches.

Knowing that her family had a history of heart disease, and wanting to stick around long enough to enjoy her horses and cattle, Ms. Click turned to deCODE genetics for help deciphering what role genetics play in her family’s medical history.

“All my immediate family is gone,” Ms. Click says in her thick Texas drawl. “They died from heart problems. My sister had open-heart surgery, but her heart wasn’t strong enough to support her surgery. My brother had asthma all his life, but his heart quit on him one day. And my mother died of a stroke.”

Link: Read the rest of Cheryl Click’s interview