Northside Hospital is expanding access to specialized cardiovascular genetics services designed to help patients and families better understand their risk for inherited heart disease and take proactive steps to protect their health.
The Cardiovascular Genetics Program provides comprehensive genetic counseling, risk assessment and genetic testing for individuals with personal or family histories that may suggest an inherited cardiovascular condition. The program is designed to identify genetic risk factors associated with heart disease, allowing for earlier detection, treatment and prevention.
Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. Many heart conditions, including abnormal heart rhythms, aneurysms, cardiomyopathies and familial high cholesterol, can have a hereditary component. Through genetic evaluation and testing, patients may gain critical information that can help guide care decisions for themselves and their family members.
“I am excited to bring this program to our community,” said Bonnie Poteet, a cardiovascular genetics counselor at Northside Hospital Heart Institute. “This is a step forward in cardiovascular precision medicine that will provide patients and their family members with information that can be lifesaving."
"If someone has a genetic predisposition to develop heart failure or an inherited arrhythmia and we catch it early, their story is very different from someone who doesn’t know they’re at risk until they’re in end-stage disease," Poteet added. "When you know you have a genetic risk, lifestyle changes can also become an essential part of your medical plan, alongside medications and monitoring."
During an initial appointment, cardiovascular genetic counselors review a patient’s medical history, collect a three-generation family history, assess inherited risk factors and provide education about genetic testing options. Counselors also help patients understand the potential implications of testing results for both themselves and their relatives.
The program evaluates individuals and families with a history of conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, dilated cardiomyopathy, inherited arrhythmias, thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections, cardiac amyloidosis, familial hypercholesterolemia, congenital heart defects, and connective tissue disorders, including Marfan syndrome and Loeys-Dietz syndrome.
Patients may benefit from cardiovascular genetic counseling if they have experienced heart disease at a young age, unexplained fainting, heart failure, sudden cardiac death in the family or multiple relatives with implanted cardiac devices.
Following testing, genetic counselors work closely with patients and their care teams to interpret results and recommend next steps, which may include additional cardiac imaging, preventive therapies, or screening for at-risk family members.
The Cardiovascular Genetics Program is part of the Northside Hospital Heart Institute’s commitment to advancing personalized medicine and providing patients with access to specialized cardiovascular care close to home.
LEARN MORE ABOUT NORTHSIDE'S CARDIOVASCULAR GENETICS PROGRAM.
FIND A NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL HEART INSTITUTE PROVIDER.
