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.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Female gender and genetic factors are the most common known risk factors for Rheumatoid arthritis.
In addition, there are certain environmental factors that increase the risk of developing this disease, including cigarette smoking and high body mass index.
While women are two to three times more likely to get RA than men, men tend to be more severely affected by the disease.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease of the joints.
RA is a progressive, systemic disease
RA is a progressive disease that can lead to long-term joint damage, resulting in chronic pain, loss of function, and disability.
RA is also a systemic disease, which means it can affect other organs in the body including the skin, heart, lungs, eyes, and muscles.
One of the more common autoimmune diseases, especially among women
RA is thought to affect approximately 2.1 million Americans, or 1% of the US population. In Asia the prevalence is similar. About 60% of RA patients are unable to work 10 years after the onset of disease. RA can affect anyone, including children, but 70% of people with RA are women. Onset usually occurs between 30 and 50 years of age.
Genetic variants impact the risk of developing RA
Genetic variants are known to increase the risk of developing Rheumatoid arthritis; a variant in or near the HLA-DRB1 gene on chromosome 6p, the PTPN22 gene on chromosome 1, the STAT4 gene on chromosome 2, the IL23 gene on chromosome 4, the TRAF1-C5 gene on chromosome 9, the OLIG3-TNFAIP3 gene region on chromosome 6q and in the PADI4 gene on chromosome 1. Of these the HLA-DRB gene contributes by far the strongest effect to the risk of developing Rheumatoid arthritis. The PADI4 gene contributes to the risk of RA in East Asians but not people of European descent.
deCODEhealth calculates your patients’ genetic risk for RA
The deCODE Complete Scan identifies validated RA risk variants and uses them to provide a personalized interpretation of the associated genetic risk for RA. The number of variants included in the deCODE Complete Scan for each ethnic group are listed in the table below.
| Number of Variants Measured | |
|---|---|
| European ancestry | 6 |
| East Asian ancestry | 2 |
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.
Risk factors
Gender and genetic factors are the most common known risk factors for RA. In addition, there are certain environmental factors that increase the risk of developing RA, including cigarette smoking and high body mass index (BMI).
- Gender: Women develop RA two to three times more often than men and their RA symptoms typically improve during pregnancy. Women develop RA more often than expected in the year after pregnancy and symptoms can increase after the baby is born. While women are two to three times more likely to get RA than men, men tend to be more severely affected by the disease.
- Genetics: Family history of RA is a known risk factor and studies have shown that genes contribute to the risk of RA. There is an increased risk among siblings of RA patients as well as among more distantly related individuals (cousins).
Prevention and treatment
There is no known way to prevent RA other than a healthy lifestyle, which seems to reduce the risk of developing the disease. Healthy diet, regular exercise, and maintaining an ideal weight are highly recommended. Smoking has been shown to increase the risk of developing RA. If you are a smoker, the increased risk of developing RA gives you another reason to quit.
While currently there is no effective cure, RA can be controlled through the use of new drugs, exercise, joint protection techniques, and self-management techniques. The goal of treatment is to relieve pain, reduce inflammation, stop or slow joint damage, improve general functioning, and improve the sense of well-being.
Researchers continue to work on new ways to treat RA – see the Arthritis Foundation’s research update for information on the latest advances made in studies of arthritis.
More information
You can find out more information about RA by talking with your doctor and visiting these Web sites:
- The Arthritis Foundation
- American College of Rheumatology
- National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
- Wikipedia Article on Rheumatoid Arthritis
This content was last reviewed on February 20, 2012.