Premature coronary artery disease; potential role of a 13 SNP gene risk score in the risk prediction of Pakistani patients

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Genetic information which is specific to an individual has the potential to improve Coronary Artery Disease [CAD] risk prediction. 13 CAD risk SNPs were selected by removing SNPs in loci which had not been identified in CARDIoGRAMplusC4D GWAS. Linkage disequilibrium patterns differ between ethnic groups pointing towards the need to investigate how the gene score would perform in different populations which is still largely unknown. Objective of the study was to investigate whether the 13 SNP CAD risk gene score has a role in the risk prediction of Pakistani Premature Coronary Artery Disease [CAD] cases and controls and to compare the CAD risk allele frequency between Pakistanis and Caucasians [samples obtained from the Northwick Park Heart Study II]