The Future of Healthcare
Cardiovascular Genetic Testing
If you or a loved one has a history of heart disease, it’s important to know if it is hereditary. With this knowledge, a doctor can schedule a long-term preventative health care plan to improve quality of life. Take the first step with KARDIA GUARD
GENETIC HEART TESTING
By using a genetic test for heart disease, doctors can identify the root cause of a family’s heart disease. The test also helps doctors determine individual relatives who are most at risk for developing the same heart condition.
PREVENT HEART DISEASE
If your family has a history of heart disease, there are steps you can take to prevent developing it yourself. A healthy diet, exercise, limiting alcohol, not smoking, controlling your blood pressure, and getting an annual cardiac scanning test are all great preventive measures to help keep the heart-healthy.
GENETIC HEART CONDITIONS
Many cardiac conditions can be genetic. Examples of genetic heart conditions are arrhythmias, congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, and high blood cholesterol. Coronary artery disease, which can run in families, may lead to people suffering from a heart attack, stroke, or heart failure.
Understanding your results
Genetic test results are complicated documents. Often, it takes an expert in the field of genetic counseling to help patients interpret the results and decide on next steps.
Take the first step to Cardiac Genetic Testing!
WHAT DOES A DOCTOR SAY?
Keep in mind regarding all genetic testing the clinical significant difference between expression and penetrance of a gene. In layman’s terms, this means that simply because a gene is present does not 100% guarantee that a syndrome or phenotype will emerge or “express” itself. Not all genes are a death sentence, but may simply mean that an individual is predisposed to a disease. In this case, behavior and lifestyle modifications can be made to prevent developing pathology. – Dr. Danielle Kelvas, MD
Any patient that is exhibiting cardiac symptoms or with a family history of cardiac disease
Unexplained cardiac arrest or sudden deaths in the family that might have been caused by an undiagnosed heart disease
Unexplained fainting, or fainting with exercise or emotional stress
Unexplained seizures, or seizures with normal neurological evaluation
ICD/pacemaker at under 50 years of age
Heart failure at less than 60 years of age
Enlarged or Irregular heart
Early heart attack, coronary artery disease or stroke (men under 55, women under 65)
Trigger conditions for Genetic Testing?
Arrthymogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia (ARVD)
Cardiac Amyloidosis
Familial Valvular Heart Disease
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Long QT syndrome
Loeys-Dietz Syndrome
Marfan Syndrome
Restrictive & Noncompaction Cardiomyopathy
FAMILY PLAYS A PART!
inherited disorders that can cause arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death
There are several inherited disorders that can cause arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death that are looked for during the test. Some are very rare. they include:
•Arrthymogenic Right Ventricular
•Dysplasia (ARVD)
•Brugada Syndrome
•Cardiac Amyloidosis
•Familial Dilated Cardiomyopathy
•Familial Valvular Heart •DiseaseHypertrophic
•CardiomyopathyLong QT syndromeLoeys-•Dietz
SyndromeMarfan •SyndromeNoncompaction •CardiomyopathyRestrictive
•Cardiomyopathy
Who should get tested?
What type of patients should be tested?
Any patient that is exhibiting cardiac symptoms or with a family history of cardiac disease, unexplained cardiac arrest or sudden deaths in the family that might have been caused by an undiagnosed heart disease, unexplained fainting, or fainting with exercise or emotional stress, unexplained seizures, or seizures with normal neurological evaluation, ICD/pacemaker at under 50 years of age, heart failure at less than 60 years of age, enlarged heart, irregular heartbeat, early heart attack, or coronary artery disease or stroke (men under 55, women under 65) should get tested for a genetic heart disease.