deCODE MI™

Analyzes five SNPs in the CYP2C19 gene that affect response to the anti-platelet drug clopidogrel. This test identifies those who may need adjustment of their clopidogrel dose or who should be put on an alternative medicaiton to prevent recurrent adverse cardiovascular events.

Screening and prevention

How deCODE MI™ can help.

More Comprehensive Risk Assessment

Understanding a patient’s risk of cardiovascular disease is the prerequisite for effective prevention, including decisions and follow-through on life style modification and medication. deCODE MI™ detects genetic risk factors for heart attack that are independent of traditional risk factors, helping to provide a more complete picture of individual susceptibility as well as important information on risk of early-onset disease.

Integration with established risk modelling tools

The results of deCODE MI™ are presented as a numerical score of individual risk of heart attack compared to the population average. Because this risk is complementary to that conferred by traditional risk factors, deCODE MI™ results can be used directly to modify scores from the Framingham, Reynolds, or ARIC tools. This can impact the recommended prevention strategies and medication for a substantial proportion of patients.

Empowering physicians and patients

Preventive measures for MI are to a great extent dependent on successful changes in lifestyle. deCODE MI™ results can give physicians’ advice extra emphasis and impact, and provide their patients with additional incentive to follow through on that advice.

Bringing Genetic risk into the picture.

deCODE MI™ is a DNA based test that detects eight single-letter variations in the sequence of the genome associated with risk of heart attack. These include the chromosome 9p21 variants discovered by deCODE, the highest impact and best validated genetic risk factors for heart attack yet found. The test provides a novel means of detecting the substantial genetic component to overall susceptibility to heart attack, risk that appears to be independent of well known risk factors such as elevated cholesterol and hypertension.

Risk as important as LDL.

About 5.5 % of people of European descent who take deCODE MI™ will receive a score of 1.5 or above, or ≥50% increased risk of MI compared to the population average. This is a greater increase in risk than that conferred by being in the top quintile of LDL cholesterol.

Modifying modeled risk

deCODE MI™ results can be used to directly modify the risk assessment derived from conventional risk assessment tools such as the Framingham score, simply by multiplying the two results together. The test can thereby move a significant proportion of patients up or down in risk category, impacting guideline LDL targets and statin dosing. Patients found through deCODE MI™ to be at higher risk of heart attack may also benefit from more aggressive management of other risk factors such as weight, smoking, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes.

This content was last reviewed on February 04, 2011.