Being in the top decile for the genome-wide polygenic score for coronary artery disease is associated with an increased risk for sudden and/or arrhythmic death among coronary artery disease patients without severe systolic dysfunction, according to a study published in the 30 August issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Roopinder K Sandhu, MD, MPH, from the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, and colleagues examined whether a genome-wide polygenic score for coronary artery disease (GPS_CAD) would have utility in sudden and/or arrhythmic death (SAD) risk stratification in 4698 CAD patients without severe systolic dysfunction.

The cohort was dichotomised according to top GPS_CAD decile, as defined by the general population.

The researchers found that participants in the top GPS_CAD decile were at elevated absolute SAD risk (8.0% vs 4.8%) and proportional SAD risk (29% vs 16%) compared with the rest of the participants during a median follow-up of eight years.