Boston Heart Diagnostics announces the availability of the Polygenic Risk Map. These genetic tests leverage polygenic risk scores to provide physicians with a much more precise understanding of their patient’s absolute genetic risk of complex disease, allowing for the creation of early, personalized intervention strategies.
Currently, genetic risk evaluations predominately rely on the presence of individual genes or genetic variants that identify potential disease risks. By contrast, polygenic risk scores analyze up to several million genetic variants through genome-wide modeling and advanced statistical analysis to distinguish the likelihood of diseases including coronary artery disease, breast cancer, prostate cancer, type II diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and others. In turn, PRS has three main clinical applications:
- Inform prevention strategies, including the prescription of preventative medications
- Increase precision in existing risk assessments that rely on limited genetic or phenotypic risk markers
- Better understand cases of chronic diseases where no other risk factors are present
The Polygenic Risk Map is available from Boston Heart and can be ordered exclusively by healthcare professionals. The specimen for this test can be collected within a clinical setting or in the convenience of the patient’s home. The samples are then shipped in pre-addressed packages to Framingham, Mass, where Eurofins Laboratory partner, Clinical Enterprise, performs the genetic sequencing. The resulting data is then analyzed through collaboration with Allelica, a polygenic risk scores company. Laboratory reports can be viewed by healthcare providers and patients via Boston Heart Diagnostics’ secure portal.
