A recent study published in the journal Nature Human Behavior explored the interactions between genetic risk and lifestyle factors on the onset and types of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The research revealed that individuals with unfavorable lifestyles and high genetic risk are more likely to experience early-onset CVD. Importantly, the study found that lifestyle improvements can significantly reduce the incidence of CVD, particularly among young adults with high genetic risk.
Study: Joint impact of polygenic risk score and lifestyles on early- and late-onset cardiovascular diseases . Image Credit: Chinnapong / Shutterstock Over recent decades, while CVD rates have stabilized or decreased in adults over 50, they have risen among individuals between 15 and 49, highlighting the growing concern about early-onset cardiovascular illness. Both environmental and genetic variables contribute to this risk.
Polygenic risk scores (PRS) calculated using genome-wide association studies (GWAS) can help predict an individual's genetic predisposition to diseases like coronary artery disease (CAD), especially in European populations. However, PRSs have shown limited success in predicting CVD in East Asian populations or other forms of CVD like stroke. Additionally, few studies have developed PRSs for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in the Chinese population.
The interaction between genetic risk and lifestyle factors on CVD risk, particularly the difference between early- and late-onset CVD, r.