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Genetic variant tied to increased AF risk in Hispanics/Latinos
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A common genetic variant, chromosome 4q25 single nucleotide polymorphism, has been linked to increased risk for atrial fibrillation in the Hispanic/Latino population, according to new data published in PLOS ONE.
“There is a paradox at play when it comes to atrial fibrillation in the Latino population,” Dawood Darbar, MD, professor medicine and pharmacology at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, said in a press release. “While Latino individuals are less likely to develop atrial fibrillation than whites, despite having a higher burden of risk factors, they are more likely to suffer complications if the condition does develop.”
To determine whether the top nine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) frequently linked to AF in white patients of European descent were also associated with AF in Hispanic/Latino patients, Darbar and colleagues conducted a study consisting of patients who were prospectively enrolled at the University of Illinois at Chicago AF Registry.
The researchers also analyzed a control group of patients identified from the University of Illinois Cohort of Patients, Family and Friends.
The study consisted of 713 Hispanic and Latino participants, including 103 patients with AF and 610 controls.
Among the eight AF risk SNPs genotyped, only rs10033464 SNP at chromosome 4q25 (near PITX2) was significantly linked to AF after multiple testing and adjustment for multiple risk factors (adjusted OR = 2.27, 95% CI, 1.31-3.94), according to the researchers.
Darbar and colleagues found that the link remained significant when the analysis was restricted to Hispanics of Mexican descent (adjusted OR = 2.32, 95% CI, 1.35–3.99).
“The presence of an AFib-associated genetic variant helps doctors personalize treatment for the individual patient,” Darbar said in the release. “It also alerts us to a possible familial link that can help identify when family members may also be at risk. by Dave Quaile
Disclosures: The study was supported by grants from the American Heart Association and the NIH. The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.
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