Quitting smoking, exercising and eating right are no longer a guarantee for heart health. Genetic medicine is at the forefront of cardiology for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart diseases
A few weeks ago, a friend called me for a soul talk. I didn't know what it was about, I assumed it was a health or heavy financial matter. When we sat down, it became clear to me that it was the first option: his brother had a heart attack just two years after his father died of one. He told me about his fears of dying early and that he currently lives in constant anxiety. Fortunately, through my recently acquired knowledge of genetic medicine, I was able to advise him in a way that would not only calm his fears, but also significantly reduce his chances of getting sick.
Medical genetics, or genetic medicine, is a field of medicine that deals with hereditary diseases. "What is the big buzz about these two words, and is it relevant to the field of heart disease?", I asked Prof. Eitan Friedman, an expert in the field.
"Already today we can adapt the treatments to the genetic profile of each patient - personalized medicine", explains Prof. Friedman. "In addition, we can know which diseases a person will be exposed to throughout his life, in order to outline a follow-up regime for early detection or to carry out preventive actions. In the field of the heart, these actions can include drug treatment (for example to lower cholesterol levels), tests such as a stress test, or even implantation of pacemakers or defibrillators. All of these can, unequivocally, prevent death."
In recent weeks we heard about the prophylactic mastectomy performed by Angelina Jolie following the discovery of a genetic mutation. Is there knowledge of the problematic genes in the field of heart disease?
"Definitely. It is quite clear to us that there are genetics of heart disease. We know this both from studies about genes and genetic mutations and from the fact that heart diseases are much more common among people whose family members have been affected."
Is it worth taking out supplementary medical insurance today that will cover genetic medicine?
"Highly recommended. Already today we can inspect about 500 gardens, by the end of the year I estimate that we will be able to inspect 1,500 gardens and within the next two years - 23,000 gardens. There are, for example in the field of cancer, genetic tests that must be performed immediately. Those who carry out full genetic sequencing and are under the personal supervision of a geneticist will receive updates from time to time - such a gene has been found, such a mutation has been found and these are the consequences."
If Prof. Friedman throws down a gauntlet, there are certainly those in Israel who keep it. Recently, the Phoenix company launched an innovative scope of insurance called "genetics", which makes it possible to benefit from the services of preventive tests, assessment of future medical risks, diagnosis and even tools for personalized treatment. In my opinion, it is only a matter of time until every complementary medical insurance will have to follow the company's lead and include coverage for tools from the field of genetics-based medicine in the coverage it offers.
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