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Family coronary heart disease: a call to action
H Robert Superko1, Robert Roberts, Brenda Garrett
1Center for Genomics and Human Health, Saint Joseph's Translational Research Institute, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Robert.superko@celera.com
Insights
A family history of coronary heart disease (CHD) is a significant risk factor. Genetic testing for inherited cardiovascular risk can improve patient care, risk prediction, and family counseling, despite current clinical adoption challenges.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Genetics
- Preventive Cardiology
Background:
- Family history of coronary heart disease (CHD) is an established, independent risk factor for cardiovascular events.
- Understanding genetic influences on CHD risk offers opportunities to enhance patient care and outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the utility of inherited cardiovascular risk testing in clinical practice.
- To identify strategies for improving CHD risk prediction and patient management through genetic insights.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing both phenotypic and genotypic data for inherited cardiovascular risk assessment.
- Reviewing the potential applications of genetic testing in CHD risk stratification.
Main Results:
- Inherited cardiovascular risk testing can improve CHD risk prediction, treatment selection, outcome prediction, and facilitate family counseling.
- The evidence linking CHD to inheritance is strong and consistent.
Conclusions:
- Integrating genetic information into cardiovascular risk assessment is crucial for improving patient care and identifying at-risk family members.
- Overcoming barriers such as staff time, education, assessment mechanisms, and privacy is essential for widespread clinical adoption.
Abstract:
A family history of coronary heart disease (CHD) is an accepted risk factor for cardiovascular events and is independent of common CHD risk factors. Advances in the understanding of genetic influences on CHD risk provide the opportunity to apply this knowledge and improve patient care. Utility of inherited cardiovascular risk testing exists by utilizing both phenotypes and genotypes and includes improved CHD risk prediction, selection of the most appropriate treatment, prediction of outcome, and family counseling. The major impediment to widespread clinical adoption of this concept involves un-reimbursed staff time, educational needs, access to a standardized and efficient assessment mechanism, and privacy issues. The link between CHD and inheritance is indisputable and the evidence strong and consistent. For clinicians, the question is how to utilize this information, in an efficient manner, in order to improve patient care and detection of high-risk family members.
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