Findings come as ACC/AHA guidelines recognize polygenic risk as an ASCVD risk enhancer

MENLO PARK, Calif., March 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- MyOme, a leader in clinical whole-genome analysis and integrated risk modeling, today announced research showing that integrating polygenic scores with clinical risk factors produces more precise and stable coronary artery disease (CAD) predictions than either approach alone. The announcement comes ahead of the ACC Annual Scientific Session, as updated ACC/AHA guidelines increasingly recognize the role of genomics in standard cardiovascular care.

New ACC/AHA Guidelines Highlight Genetic Risk Enhancers

Newly released 2026 ACC/AHA dyslipidemia guidelines recognize high polygenic risk as an atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk enhancer, alongside established factors such as family history of premature ASCVD, elevated lipoprotein(a), inflammatory markers, and metabolic risk factors.^[1] 

This update reflects a broader shift in cardiovascular prevention—moving beyond traditional risk calculators toward more comprehensive risk assessment that integrates genetic and clinical factors, an approach central to MyOme's integrated risk modeling platform.

Polygenic risk scores aggregate the effects of thousands to millions of genetic variants across the genome to quantify inherited susceptibility to disease. Landmark studies have demonstrated that individuals with high polygenic risk may have threefold or greater risk of developing coronary artery disease, comparable to the risk conferred by certain monogenic mutations^.[2,3]

Risk enhancers refine cardiovascular risk estimates when traditional calculators leave uncertainty. In patients with borderline or intermediate risk—such as those assessed using traditional tools like the PREVENT-ASCVD equation—risk enhancers can influence decisions about earlier lipid-lowering therapy, additional screening, or lifestyle interventions.^[1]

Together, these changes highlight the growing need for approaches that can reliably integrate genetic and clinical risk factors in individual patients.

"The inclusion of polygenic risk in the ACC/AHA guidelines reflects a steady march toward clinical adoption of genomics-enabled tools that identify those who are 'flying under the radar' and could benefit from earlier intervention," said Dr. Akash Kumar, co-founder of MyOme. "This is at the core of what we have been building at MyOme."

Study Evaluates Stability of Integrated Genetic and Clinical Risk Prediction

MyOme is addressing a key challenge in the clinical adoption of polygenic risk scores (PRS): variability in individual risk classification across models.

The study, authored by investigators at MyOme and published in the American Journal of Preventive Cardiology, evaluates the consistency of integrated genetic and clinical risk models—an important consideration as genomic risk tools move closer to routine clinical use.^[4] These findings align with the 2026 ACC/AHA guidelines, which position polygenic risk as an ASCVD risk enhancer alongside established clinical factors, and support a broader shift toward integrating genomic and clinical data in cardiovascular risk assessment.

"Polygenic risk captures inherited susceptibility to coronary artery disease that is not reflected in traditional clinical risk factors alone," said Dr. Akl Fahed, M.D., M.P.H., cardiologist and physician-scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital. "This study shows that integrating genetic and clinical risk factors can yield more consistent and reproducible risk estimates, supporting the potential role of combined models in preventive cardiology." Dr. Fahed is an author of the study and a paid consultant to MyOme.

MyOme has taken this integrated approach by design—combining polygenic risk with established clinical predictors to provide a more comprehensive view of cardiovascular risk. The study provides further support for the consistency and reliability of this approach at the individual patient level, an important requirement for clinical implementation.

The research can be viewed here: https://myome.com/posters/AJPC%202026%20Stability%20of%20integrated%20polygenic%20and%20clinical%20coronary%20artery%20disease%20risk%20prediction.pdf

ACC 2026

MyOme will be attending the American College of Cardiology (ACC) Annual Scientific Session. Attendees can meet the MyOme team at the Future Hub, Booth 14, to discuss advances in genomic risk prediction and preventive cardiology.

About MyOme

MyOme is a clinical whole genome analysis company helping families understand their risk for diseases. As a leader in polygenic and AI-based integrative risk modeling, MyOme's platform combines genome sequencing with AI-driven analytics to integrate polygenic risk scores with established clinical predictors, enabling a more comprehensive approach to cardiovascular and disease risk assessment. MyOme leverages the power of the whole genome and clinical data for a lifetime of meaningful and actionable insights. These capabilities can dramatically reduce healthcare costs and improve outcomes by identifying disease risk earlier and enabling preventive interventions. Certified under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) and accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP), MyOme is based in Menlo Park, California.

References

1. Blumenthal RS, Morris PB, et al. 2026 ACC/AHA Multisociety Guideline on the Management of Dyslipidemia. Journal of the American College of Cardiology / Circulation.
2. Khera AV et al. Genome-wide polygenic scores for common diseases identify individuals with risk equivalent to monogenic mutations. Nature Genetics. 2018.
   https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0183-z
3. Inouye M et al. Genomic Risk Prediction of Coronary Artery Disease in 480,000 Adults. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2018.
   https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2018.07.079
4. Ratman D, Maier R, Kumar A, Rabinowitz M, Im K, Fahed AC. Stability of integrated polygenic and clinical coronary artery disease risk prediction. American Journal of Preventive Cardiology. 2026. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666667726001029

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SOURCE MyOme, Inc