Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death among people with type 2 diabetes. Physicians can assess the extent of the risk fairly precisely if the person is suffering from diabetes. Weight, glucose level and family history are all very clear indicators. According to a study by the Joslin Diabetes Center, genetic tests can make a further contribution.

Until recently, it was a common belief that genetic testing did little to predict coronary artery disease. The study in question has shown that analyzing genetic factors can help to get more precise diagnoses.

The team of Dr. Alessandro Doria has analyzed the genes related to coronary artery present throughout the population. Previously it was believed that the risk of developing the disease derived from 160 gene locations. The researchers analyzed the behavior of these variants in people with type 2 diabetes. The results were positive and significantly improved predictive accuracy.

According to the study, the addition of genetic analysis to clinical criteria allows anticipation of predictions. As a result, it is possible to take action much earlier, so as to reduce the risk of the disease manifesting itself. Nevertheless, the genetic test proved to be of little use in determining the best type of treatment.

In a previous study, Dr. Doria and his colleagues had identified two genes useful for deciding which treatments were best. The next step will therefore be to focus on these two genes, in order to deepen the question.

Source: eurekalert.org