Polygenic Risk Scores to Identify CVD Risk and Tailor Therapy: Hope or Hype?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to understand the conceptual basis and implications of polygenic risk scores (PRS) in assessing risk of future coronary artery disease (CAD).

RECENT FINDINGS

Genetic information from the USA and beyond has been pooled together to create population-based biobanks, composed of millions of genotyped individuals, which have helped further our understanding of the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and CAD. Contemporary PRS composed of millions of SNPs now serve as the gold standard and have been evaluated in several cohort studies to predict risk of CAD and potentially help guide pharmacotherapy. The development of PRS has enhanced our understanding of the relationship between genes and disease, thereby facilitating CAD risk prediction. While certain constraints currently limit their utility in clinical practice, further refinement of this tool will enable clinicians to more fully understand genetic risk and improve preventive care.