The American Heart Association released a scientific statement on genetic testing for cardiovascular diseases, finding that such testing may help families make informed decisions around managing heart health, the association announced July 23.
What you should know:
1. AHA documented what it knows and does not know about genetic testing around cardiovascular diseases.
2. Four diseases may have a genetic component: cardiomyopathies, thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections, arrhythmic disorders, and familial hypercholesterolemia.
3. AHA said clinicians should work with patients to get a family medical history before considering genetic testing. The history should ideally go back three generations to determine if there's a history of heart disease. AHA recommends only using genetic testing for patients "with a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of an inherited cardiovascular disease or for individuals at high risk due to a previously identified disease-causing variant."