Genetic Predictors of Cardiovascular Disease

This study, conducted in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, will explore the genetic influences on susceptibility to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Atherosclerosis is a chronic narrowing of the arteries caused by an incremental buildup of fatty substances on the linings of walls of arteries. This study will examine the role of genes related to the inflammatory process on the incidence of ASCVD and on levels of chemokines (proteins involved in inflammation). DNA samples, chemokines levels and relevant clinical data from patients enrolled in Johns Hopkins's sibling and family heart studies are analyzed for specific gene markers. The studies include: Nurse Model in Black Families at Risk for Heart Disease; Genotypic Determinants of Aspirin Response in High Risk Families; and Coronary Disease Detection by Thallium SPECT and Fast CT. All of the enrolled patients have consented to have their DNA used for testing of genetic factors that may predict cardiovascular disease and do not contain patient identifier information.