deCODE Complete
Analyzes risk factors for more than fifty common diseases and several traits, including all of those for which deCODEhealth offers individual disease tests. deCODE Complete focuses on medical conditions that can either be better prevented through altered lifestyle or that have better treatment outcomes if detected early. It is the most comprehensive genetic scan available for evaluating risk of common diseases. It is not generally reimbursable.
Diseases and conditions covered by the deCODE Complete Scan:
Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm, ABO Blood Types, Age Related Macular Degeneration, Alcohol Flush Reaction, Alzheimer’s Disease, Asthma, Atrial Fibrillation, Basal Cell Carcinoma, Bitter Taste Perception, Bladder Cancer, Brain Aneurysm, Brain Cancer-Glioma, Breast Cancer, Celiac Disease, Chronic Kidney Disease, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Clopidogrel Response, Colorectal Cancer, Crohn’s Disease, Essential Tremor, Exfoliation Glaucoma, Eye Color, Gallstones, Gout, Heart Attack, Hemochromatosis, Hypertension, Kidney Stones, Lactose Intolerance, Lung Cancer, Male Pattern Baldness, Multiple Sclerosis, Nicotine Dependence, Obesity, Ovarian Cancer, Pancreatic Cancer, Peripheral Arterial Disease, Prostate Cancer, Psoriasis, Restless Legs Syndrome, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Statin Induced Myopathy, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, Testicular Cancer, Thyroid Cancer, Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, Ulcerative Colitis, Venous Thromboembolism, Warfarin Metabolism.
Brain Aneurysm
It is estimated that intracranial aneurysms can be found in 2-3% of the adult population.
Most of these never rupture, are without symptoms, and are never diagnosed.
Genetic factors play a recognized, albeit not yet fully known role, in their development.
Genetic factors play a recognized role in the development of brain aneurysms – deCODEhealth analyzes your patients’ DNA and interprets their genetic risk.
A bulging, weak area develops in the wall of a brain artery
When a weak area of an artery supplying the brain with blood expands or bulges, it is called an intracranial aneurysm (also known as a brain aneurysm). The feared complication of this type of aneurysm is rupture of the weakened vessel wall, causing bleeding in the area between the brain and the surrounding arachnoid membrane (called a subarachnoid hemorrhage). This is a medical emergency that may result in brain damage or death. Prior to rupture, most intracranial aneurysms are without symptoms, but may in some cases cause severe headaches, double vision, seizures, or vomiting.
Most brain aneurysms are without symptoms and never diagnosed
It is estimated that intracranial aneurysms can be found in 2-3% of the adult population. Most of these never rupture, are without symptoms, and are never diagnosed. The estimated incidence of ruptured intracranial aneurysms ranges from two to 22 cases per 100,000 individuals per year. Up to half of those who experience a rupture of intracranial aneurysms and the consequential subarachnoid hemorrhage die and a third of survivors suffer moderate to severe disability.
Genetic factors play a recognized role
Genetic factors play a recognized, albeit not yet fully known role, in the development of intracranial aneurysms. About one in every 10 patients with a subarachnoid hemorrhage has a family history of intracranial aneurysms and those who have a family history are usually younger at the time of diagnosis and more commonly have multiple and large aneurysms. Scientists at deCODE genetics and others, have identified three common genetic variants that associate with increased risk of intracranial aneurysm; two on chromosome 8 and one on chromosome 9.
deCODEhealth can calculate your patients’ genetic risk for intracranial (brain) aneurysm
Several genetic variants have been identified that increase the risk of developing a brain aneurysm. The number of variants included in the deCODE Complete Scan for each ethnic group are listed in the table below. These variants are used to provide a personalized interpretation of your patients’ genetic risk for developing a brain aneurysm.
| Number of Variants Measured | |
|---|---|
| European ancestry | 3 |
| East Asian ancestry | 1 |
At present, the necessary scientific information to interpret the genetic risk for individuals of other ethnicities is not available. This information will be added as soon as it becomes available and we are assured of its quality.
Who is at increased risk for developing a brain aneurysm?
The main known risk factors for brain aneurysms are:
- Age and gender. Intracranial aneurysms can occur in all age groups but are most commonly detected in individuals between the ages of 40 and 60. The average age of a ruptured or bleeding intracranial aneurysm is 50 years of age.
- Hypertension. High blood pressure increases the risk of intracranial aneurysms and of their bleeding.
- Other. Smoking, alcohol abuse, and cocaine use have been associated with intracranial aneurysms. Rare causes include infections, connective tissue disorders and trauma.
- Ethnicity. Studies have indicated that subarachnoid hemorrhage is less common in individuals of European descent than in African-Americans, Asians and Hispanics.
- Genetics. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and various other rare hereditary conditions, are associated with intracranial aneurysms. Additionally, about 10% of patients diagnosed with an intracranial aneurysm, have a first-degree family member also with the condition. A family history of intracranial aneurysms has been found to be equally common among individuals of European descent, African-Americans and Hispanics.
Treatment depends on size and location of the aneurysm
Intracranial (brain) aneurysms can be treated with either open surgery or minimally invasive endovascular methods (the aneurysm is treated through thin plastic tubes or catheters inserted in a groin artery). Ruptured aneurysms are generally treated immediately to prevent further tears and bleeding. Whether treatment is recommended for asymptomatic and incidentally diagnosed aneurysms depends on the size and location of the lesion.
Screening is only recommended for high-risk individuals
Screening has been recommended for patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease and for those who have two immediate relatives with intracranial aneurysms (although the latter indication remains controversial).
More information
- The Aneurysm and AVF Foundation
- American Heart Association
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- Mount Sinai Medical Center – Patient Information
- Mayo Clinic on Intracranial Aneurysms
This content was last reviewed on February 16, 2012.