The last 20 years have transformed our understanding of what causes cardiovascular disease. We now know that most heart attacks are not simply a gradual build-up of a blockage in an artery - like a blocked drain - but the result of a much more active complex process, driven by a long-lasting inflammatory response.

Inflammation is essential to life, defending the body against infection and helping coordinate the repair of damaged tissues and organs. These short-term actions typically take place over days or weeks. But when these processes persist for years, they can create fundamental changes to the tissue, such as what occurs in the artery wall of a person that suffers a heart attack.

The interleukin-1 (IL-1) family of cytokines plays a key role in coordinating and regulating inflammation. The IL-1 genes are some of the first to be activated in an inflammatory response and start a chain reaction of inflammatory chemicals that lead to excess levels of plaque or blocked arteries and thus an increased risk of heart disease. IL-1 activates a wide number of cells, proteins and other molecules that not only contribute to inflammation but keep the response active. Importantly, subtle differences in two IL-1 genes, IL1A and IL1B, are associated with above average inflammatory responses, and increased risk for earlier or more severe cardiovascular disease and heart attacks.

The Heart Health genetic test identifies individuals who test positive for these IL-1 genetic patterns. It is important to recognize that these genetic patterns increase cardiovascular risk by a similar amount to other, better known risk factors - such as smoking and high LDL cholesterol - which can increase your overall risk. Knowing your IL-1 genotype allows you take control of your heart health by enacting lifestyle changes to manage your specific risk factors.

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