The Utility of Genetic Risk Scores in Predicting the Onset of Stroke

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States and the second leading cause of death worldwide, and is a primary cause of incapacitation. Known phenotypic risk factors for stroke include smoking, diabetes, hypertension, physical inactivity, atrial fibrillation, race, age, and sex. There has been progress in identifying genetic indicators of stroke tendency, mostly in the form of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Certain SNPs have been statistically associated with stroke incidence in large-cohort Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Stroke-associated SNPs may be assembled into Genetic Risk Score (GRS) panels to provide improved methods of assessing individual stroke risk, either by use of the GRS panel alone or in combination with traditional phenotypic risk scores. This review surveyed the stroke GWAS and GRS literature and found 139 SNPs associated with 101 genes or chromosomal regions. Further, GRS panels composed of subsets of these SNPs slightly improve the predictive ability of traditional risk scores when combined, but are less effective than traditional risk scores when GRS panels are used as the sole means of determining stroke propensity. Currently available GRS SNP panels, when used in combination with traditional risk scores, provide a slight improvement in predicting stroke propensity. However, when judged by the cost, time, and effort involved in utilizing such methods, as well as the lack of standardized panels or methods of evaluating results, GRS are not recommended for use as primary tools of stroke risk assessment. However, as precision medicine and personalized genomics become more common, GRS panels may ultimately prove useful in guiding stroke prevention efforts.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Digital/other
  • Features: Figures; References; Tables;
  • Pagination: 41p

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01778626
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: DOT/FAA/AM-21/24
  • Files: NTL, TRIS, ATRI, USDOT
  • Created Date: Aug 3 2021 3:31PM