Apr 2, 2022
Novel Risk Factors for Arrhythmia Uncovered
Posted by Kelvin Dafiaghor in categories: biotech/medical, genetics
A recent study published in Nature Genetics identified 10 new genetic regions associated with Brugada syndrome, a cardiac arrhythmia disorder associated with sudden death in young adults.
The findings expand possibilities for predictive risk scoring and provide new targets for therapeutic study, according to Alfred George, Jr., MD, chair and the Alfred Newton Richards Professor of Pharmacology and a co-author of the study.
“Prior to this work, there were only two genomic regions associated with Brugada syndrome risk that were identified by genome-wide studies. Data from the new study greatly expands this to 12 regions with a total of 21 genetic signals to better explain risk for Brugada syndrome,” George said. “The results also provide the basis for a polygenic risk score that can be used to assess risk in individuals.”