Gene Test Could Catch Deadly Heart Problem

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The researchers found that two of the genes were overexpressed by at least threefold, and two were underexpressed by threefold. The underexpressed genes may explain the cause of acute aortic dissection, the researchers noted.

"We did our study primarily to gain a better understanding of the molecular mechanism underlying acute aortic dissection," Mohamed said.

"The study was also aimed at the future development of a clinical test for monitoring patients with a high risk of acute aortic dissection. Most acute aortic dissection patients do not have a known connective tissue disorder. The identification of the four genes could be a starting point to develop a diagnostic tool," Mohamed said.

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Acute aortic dissection is usually accompanied by chest pain that may radiate to the back. Other symptoms include nausea, sweating and difficulty breathing. These symptoms can be easily confused with a heart attack.

Dr. Curtis Rimmerman, the Gus P. Karos Chair of Clinical Cardiovascular Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, noted that aortic dissection is a life-threatening condition with high morbidity and mortality rates, and it is most often an unpredictable event.

"Any genomic advance that may be able to identify those patients with a heightened risk for acute aortic dissection represents a significant positive step forward," Rimmerman said.

With the exception of those patients with Marfan syndrome and those with a family history of aortic dissection, no screening program is in place to identify patients at risk for aortic dissection, Rimmerman said.

"Should those patients predisposed to aortic dissection be reliably identified, this would permit heightened attention to lifestyle modification, blood pressure control, and the preemptive administration of certain medications such as beta blockers," Rimmerman said. "Additionally, in those patients identified as high-risk, this would undoubtedly involve focused efforts at aortic imaging," he said.

Rimmerman cautioned, however, that this was a small study and would need to be replicated in a larger patient group before such testing could be ready for clinical use.

More information

For more on aortic dissection, visit the American Heart Association.

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