Study explores clinical uses for polygenic risk scores

Vanderbilt University Medical Center has received a five-year, $4.5 million grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute to assess clinical outcomes and economic value of screening large, diverse health care populations for disease risk using polygenic risk scores.

BMI genetics influence heart function

Vanderbilt researchers have discovered that a genetic predisposition to elevated body mass index increases the risk of diastolic dysfunction — a cardiac condition that can lead to heart failure.

Genetics and blood pressure

Including polygenic risk scores for blood pressure may improve predictive models to identify people at risk for treatment-resistant hypertension.

Calculating risk for uterine fibroids

Vanderbilt researchers have constructed a polygenic risk score for uterine fibroids that will be useful for exploring causes of these benign tumors and identifying novel drug targets and therapies.

High blood pressure genes improve heart surgery survival in children

Vanderbilt researchers have found that children with a genetic makeup that predicts high blood pressure as adults are more likely to survive congenital heart defect repair surgery.

Study links depression scores, white blood cell count