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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – Charlottesville’s AMPEL BioSolutions has created a new blood test called Cardio Gene.
It can predict who is at a higher risk for heart disease by looking at genes.
“It’s a breakthrough discovery for the first-time identifying risk factors in inflammation and the immune system that lead to cardiovascular events. Outside the traditional risk factors of smoking, high fat diet and sedentary lifestyle. Cardio Gene could be a game changer,” said Doctor Amrie Grammer, president of AMPEL BioSolutions.
Typically, high fat diets and smoking are linked to cardiovascular events, but the new test can look at lesser-known risk factors. The research was originally done for lupus patients.
“We all know about individuals that die of a stroke or heart attack young. Cardio Gene is not only for lupus patients, but the larger population. It will be able to predict the risk for cardiovascular events, and potentially therapies to mitigate or prevent those,” said Dr. Grammer.
The company’s goal is to have the tests available to everyone in three years.