Individuals with high clinical risk scores face a 3.6 times higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. (Image courtesy of Pixabay)
SEOUL, May 10 (Korea Bizwire) – A study conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) has revealed that individuals with high clinical risk scores, calculated by combining factors such as age, gender, blood pressure, smoking status, and obesity levels, face a 3.6 times higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases compared to those in the low-risk group.
Furthermore, when genetic risk factors are added, the likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases can increase up to five-fold, according to the findings published in the international journal Frontiers in Genetics.
Researchers from the National Institute of Health at the KDCA analyzed clinical data, genetic information, and 17 years of follow-up survey results from 7,612 participants in the Korean Genome and Epidemiology Study’s community cohort.
The results showed that individuals with a clinical risk score of 7.5% or higher, calculated using factors such as age, gender, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol levels, and smoking status, had a 3.6 times higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases compared to those with a risk score below 7.5%.
Moreover, individuals in the top 20% of the genetic risk score, which quantifies genetic factors associated with cardiovascular diseases, had a 1.5 times higher risk of developing these conditions compared to those in the bottom 20%.
The KDCA explained that even for individuals in the clinical low-risk group with a risk score below 7.5%, their risk of developing cardiovascular diseases could increase by up to 1.5 times if their genetic risk score was high.
For the high-risk group with elevated clinical and genetic risk scores, the likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases was five times higher compared to those with low scores in both categories.
“The American Heart Association has developed a tool to predict the risk of cardiovascular diseases using clinical information and recommends proactive prevention measures,” the KDCA stated.
“The findings of this study can provide scientific evidence for identifying high-risk individuals and preventing cardiovascular diseases tailored specifically to Koreans.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
