One of every two people whose parent suffers from a heart disease family, will develop the disease

-20 Years, the mortality of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (the most common hereditary heart) was up 6% annual; now, thanks to recent advances in diagnosis and treatment, including genetics, this mortality has fallen to 0.5 per cent per annum

-genetic predisposition to suffer from cardiovascular disease, mainly cardiac insufficiencies, arrhythmias and sudden death, is present in one of every 250-300 children born alive and is transmitted from parents to children by up to 50% of cases

– A more widespread use of genetics in cardiology will allow, as well as save resources in the follow-up of patients, develop more individualized treatments

– in those families in which one of its members has been diagnosed with heart disease family, the Spanish Heart Foundation (CSF) recommends that their closest relatives refuse to submit to an assessment consistent clinic, at least, in a review of the clinical history and a realization of a physical examination, electrocardiogram and ultrasound

Madrid, March 2012.- that genetics has been a very important advance in medicine in recent years is not something newThis has increasingly a more decisive role in the prevention, diagnosis and knowledge of cardiovascular disease, which it is.

The Spanish Heart Foundation (CHF) wants to remind family heart diseases (diseases that have a high hereditary component) affects one of every 250-300 children born alive, and the predisposition to develop them is transmitted from parents to children by up to 50% of cases. These diseases are closely related to the condition of heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden death, and include the cardiomyopathies (dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, dysplasia or cardiomyopathy arritmogénica), the canalopatías (long QT syndrome, short QT syndrome, Brugada and catecolaminérgica polymorphic ventricular tachycardia syndrome) and other syndromes with vascular involvement as they are Marfan syndrome or Loeys-Dietz.

Since the beginning of the application of genetics in the detection and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, more than 15 years ago, we managed to reduce significantly the death by hereditary heart disease. As example, in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, while in early studies were numbered deaths at 6% a year, now the incidence is just 0.5% ”, ensures the Monserrat Dr.Lorenzo, Member of the Spanish society of Cardiology (SEC) and the University Hospital complex of A Coruña (CHUAC) cardiologist.

In addition to the remarkable decline in mortality for a better diagnosis and the application of measures for the prevention and early treatment, genetics also allows considerable savings by more precise diagnosis and prognosis, which facilitate the choice of the most suitable therapeutic measuresas well as a great saving in the follow-up of the families. When it is identified a patient with one of these heritable diseases, it is necessary to review periodically their families from first grade (especially to young people). Genetic diagnosis can identify those families who can develop the disease and therefore requiring a follow-up and early treatment, and also identifies the relatives without risk that does not require a long term follow-up.

Another noteworthy aspect of the practice of genetics in cardiology is the future treatment of the cardiac patients improved, as pharmacogenetics, which studies the relationship between genetic factors and the response to drugs, will allow us to treat diseases in a more personalized way ”, says Dr. Monserrat.

The importance of diagnosing heart disease family

In general, one of every two people whose parent has a family heart disease, presents a high risk of developing the disease. In these cases, it is important that the rest of first-degree relatives undergo a clinical evaluation consisting of an electrocardiogram, an ultrasound and a brief questionnaire to rule out the disease.

In cases in which these tests indicate a heart problem, also recommended a study of DNA to verify whether the cause is genetic or environmental.

The diagnosis of these diseases is him not only a person, but a family learns, why it is so important to the rest of relatives undergo some simple tests that refute the predisposition to cardiovascular diseases ”, said the doctor. course, the genetic cause is not always the only cause of cardiovascular disease. You have a few healthy lifestyle habits and good control of risk factors: smoking, cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension and obesity, help not having heart problems in the future ”, concludes.

The SEC and the FEC

The Spanish society of Cardiology (SEC) and the Spanish Heart Foundation (CSF) are an organization whose vital impetus is to ensure the cardiovascular health of the population through clinical and research, as well as educational and informative excellence. Both entities have become the benchmark in Spanish in the fight against cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in our country.

The SEC has more than 4,000 partners among cardiologists and professionals related to cardiovascular diseases, from European, Latin American and international Spanish.