Even if you know your family has a history of high cholesterol and heart conditions, finding out why can be a powerful piece of knowledge that improves care for you and your family.
That’s the kind of information Kelsey Stoltenberg, RN, a nurse at Sanford Brookings Clinic, wanted to know. Through ImagineYou, Sanford Health’s genetic screening research study, Stoltenberg learned she had a genetic condition that increased her cholesterol and her risk for developing heart disease.
After getting her results, Stoltenberg learned more about her own health and gave her providers the information they needed to adjust and improve her care.
Sometimes a healthy lifestyle isn’t enough
When Stoltenberg was a teenager, she started to learn more about her family’s history of high cholesterol. She was a physically active multi-sport athlete in good shape, and she was a vegetarian, but she knew high cholesterol could still be a problem for her.
Later, after having her children, she started to focus on lowering her already-high cholesterol numbers – but even with a healthy diet, active lifestyle and medication, her numbers weren’t where they needed to be.
“I felt like I was doing everything I could to lower my cholesterol on my own,” said Stoltenberg. “I then heard about ImagineYou through work, and because of my research background and family medical history, I decided I should sign up.”
ImagineYou is a no-cost genetic screening research study that helps participants understand how their DNA impacts their health. The screening tests for genetic conditions that are associated with a higher risk for certain cancers, including breast, colorectal and ovarian cancers.
It also screens for risk of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a genetic condition that causes higher cholesterol. Left untreated, high cholesterol levels could lead to heart disease or a heart attack.
When Stoltenberg got her results back from ImagineYou, she saw that she tested positive for FH.
“Given my personal history with high cholesterol, I was not surprised by the results,” said Stoltenberg. “Once I got the results, that kind of got the ball rolling. Shortly after, I met with a genetic counselor and got multiple referrals and recommendations.”
Proactive care can prevent major health issues
Every participant in the ImagineYou study who tests positive for a genetic condition is given the opportunity to meet with a genetic counselor to discuss their results. This visit carries no cost for the study participant or their insurance.
Once Stoltenberg tested positive, she met with Kristen De Berg, CGC, a genetic counselor. Through her role, De Berg helps people understand their genetic risks so they can start preventive treatment and get referrals to specialists that can provide the care they need.
De Berg said Stoltenberg is a perfect example of how knowing more about your health can be helpful in the long run.
“It can be frustrating or disappointing to learn that you have a genetic condition,” said De Berg. “For Kelsey, that information was empowering. It helped her get the care she needed, and she shared that information with her family and recommended testing to them and her colleagues.”
With this knowledge in hand, Stoltenberg decided to get heart and vascular screenings, and De Berg referred her to a cardiovascular specialist for a follow-up visit.
Her screening revealed some calcium buildup in her heart which was much higher than expected for her age group. Because of this, her care team decided to begin an aggressive medication regimen with frequent testing so they could lower and monitor her cholesterol levels.
“Some individuals don’t respond well to certain medications for high cholesterol,” said De Berg. “If we know someone has a gene variant associated with FH, they can be prescribed a newer medication that targets that specific gene, and that can be really effective.”
Enroll in ImagineYou
Highly personalized health care based around a patient’s genetics and risk factors is often referred to as precision medicine. For Stoltenberg, the precision medicine she received because of ImagineYou helped her treat her genetic condition now so she can prevent serious medical issues from forming later.
She believes that genetic screenings like ImagineYou are the keys to better health care for all, which is why she continues to recommend them to her friends, family and patients.
“The more you know, the more control you can have over your health,” said Stoltenberg.
Enrolling in ImagineYou is easy. There is no cost to participate and health insurance is not required. By choosing to enroll, participants will get valuable data about their health, genetic traits and ancestry within weeks.
You can’t change your genetics, but you can change your care.
Visit the ImagineYou website to enroll in the study today.
Learn more
- This no-cost genetic screening could improve your care
- Genetics helps woman find the key to her future heart health
- Family history: It’s an important part of your health
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Posted In Brookings, Genetics, Heart
