NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Scripps Research Translational Institute is using Seqster's health data management platform to track how individuals who receive a polygenic coronary artery disease risk score use this information to make health and lifestyle decisions.
SRTI developed the MyGeneRank app, which provides a genetic risk score for CAD. The institute is conducting a study where individuals who are at least 18 years old and have 23andMe raw data can upload the raw SNP information to the MyGeneRank app and learn their genetic risk for CAD. The latest partnership will allow people to see their genetic risk alongside other health data that Seqster pulls in to the platform from individuals' electronic health records and wearables.
"Surveys and digital health data will be used to determine if this information helped guide decision-making related to lifestyle modification and initiation of medications," according to a statement from Seqster.
San Diego-based Seqster earlier this year launched its platform, which aggregates people's health data from electronic health records, wearables, and consumer genetic testing firms, such as 23andMe. The platform then presents this data to consumers so they can explore it on their own and track trends such as their LDL levels and exercise frequency. Based on this aggregated data, the platform may suggest actions individuals can take based on guidelines or point people to ongoing research they can partake in.
"While the risk of CAD can be estimated with MyGeneRank, the quality and the richness of the health and genetic data that goes into our risk calculation plays a pivotal role in putting the final risk score into context and making the result actionable," said Ali Torkamani, director of genomics at SRTI, who leads the team that developed the app. He noted that by combining the MyGeneRank score with the Seqster platform, users will be able to not only learn their genetic risk but take action to modify that risk based on their lifestyle and health information.