“While African Americans have a high risk for VTE, previous studies have not specifically focused on this population,” said the study’s senior author Minoli Perera, PhD, of the University of Chicago. African Americans are 30 to 60 percent more likely to suffer from venous thromboembolism. That’s higher than all other U.S. populations.
Researchers led by Dr. Perera genotyped DNA samples from 578 African Americans to determine what genetic variants were highly prevalent. The researchers identified an association between three variants tied to a protein that regulates clotting and VTE. With the help of previously collected data, researchers found the percentages of these particular variants were much lower in other ethnicities.
“This study not only brings us closer to understanding the cause of VTE in African Americans, it demonstrates the importance of conducting population-specific research in precision medicine,” said Dr. Perera.
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