Cardiovascular diseases, or CVDs, are one of the leading causes of death globally. As per a study from WHO, this number is roughly 32% of all global deaths. This rising prevalence of CVDs has pressed physicians and scientists to look for new and advanced ways of diagnosing cardiovascular diseases.
Precision cardiology has emerged as one such medical technology that is helping in transforming the overall healthcare system for managing CVDs.
Biotechnology companies are investing in creating more precise tests based on sequencing technologies to offer physicians the tools they need to provide "precision care" in cardiology.
Here we’ll look into how precision cardiology is helping in effective handling of CVDs and whether it has the potential to become a gamechanger in the precision medicine industry.
So, What is Precision Cardiology and Why is it Getting all the Attention?
Precision cardiology is a branch of cardiology that explores supplemental genetic tests for more effective diagnosis and treatment. It includes identifying, diagnosing, and using genetic biomarkers to manage patients with CVDs.
Studies have shown that CVDs can be inherited and may be passed down through generations. These can be potentially life threatening for a person at any stage in life, even at a young age.
And this is why, identifying genes and genetic variants can help diagnose CVDs even before they start their actions and allow to understand their precise mechanism to treat the conditions effectively.
Figure: Enabling Precision Cardiology
Although the process of precision cardiology is promising so far, several financial and infrastructure constraints may hinder its growth into standard care. The healthcare model in which precision cardiology is based requires massive investment from major players and government support.
BIS Research’s healthcare experts have found the precision cardiology industry to be one of the most rapidly evolving and dynamic markets. The global market for precision cardiology is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 12.90% over the forecast period of 2021-2031.
Is There a Solution to This?
Cardiologists are turning to advanced data-driven strategies such as precision cardiology which makes effective use of digital biomarkers and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to help make informed decisions to improve outcomes without driving up health-related expenses.
NGS technology is used to diagnose mendelian disease when it comes to cardiovascular medicine. Cardiovascular Mendelian Diseases (CMD) include Long QT syndrome, Marfan syndrome, hypertrophic and familial dilated cardiomyopathies, and others, and are caused by a variant in a single gene.
In terms of the use of digital biomarkers for precision cardiology, different genetic biomarkers can help determine which people are at risk for CVDs in the future. Early prediction and diagnosis of CVDs using biomarkers can assist in averting cardiovascular problems in an individual.
Following are some genetic biomarker technologies that can help in cardiovascular risk assessment:
- Cardiac Troponin I (cTnI)
- B-Type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP)
- Adiponectin
- Adipocyte Fatty Acid-Binding Protein (A-FABP)
- Heart-Type Fatty Acid-Binding Protein (H-FABP)
- Vitamin- D
To summarize, there are many early indicators that precision cardiology may be able to treat chronic heart disease and other cardiac disorders through multi-omics approaches, disease networks, and Poly pharmacology.
