DNA test reveals chance of disease … at birth

IT SOUNDS incredible – but we may soon be able to find out our heart risk at birth. A team led by British scientists has developed a one-off DNA test which could identify those people most likely to suffer cardiovascular disease.

The simple blood test, which could cost as little as £40 if introduced on the NHS, gives individuals a score, known as a Genomic Risk Score (GRS). Those with the highest GRS – the top 20 per cent – could be encouraged to make lifestyle changes at an early age, and offered statins early to prevent disease. The research, partfunded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), has found a GRS offers a better indication of heart disease risk than current indicators alone, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Study co-author, Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, BHF’s medical director and chair of cardiology at the University of Leicester, said standard NHS health checks were ‘imprecise’ and it was important to help those at risk far earlier. ‘Genes are not destiny – you can modify your risk,’ Prof Samani explained. ‘We’ve identified more than 160 parts of DNA where, if there’s a particular variant, a person is at increased risk of heart problems. It’s not an absolute risk, but those given a risk score in the top 20 per cent will have a three- or four-fold higher risk than those in the bottom fifth.

‘These are the people we need to target early. It could provide a more cost-effective way to prevent heart disease, by helping doctors select patients who would most benefit from intervention.’