AF Polygenic Risk Score (AF-PRS): Explanation and Clinical Context The AF Polygenic Risk Score (AF-PRS) quantifies an individual's inherited genetic susceptibility to atrial fibrillation based on the cumulative effect of multiple risk alleles.
It is derived from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that identify common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with AF risk.
The PRS is calculated by summing the weighted effect of each risk allele carried by the individual, where weights reflect the strength of association with AF from discovery cohorts.
Risk categories are typically stratified as low, intermediate, or high based on PRS percentiles within a reference population.
Clinical application: AF-PRS can help identify individuals at elevated lifetime risk of atrial fibrillation, potentially guiding early surveillance, lifestyle interventions, or preventive therapies.
While not a standalone diagnostic tool, it complements traditional risk factors such as age, hypertension, and obesity.
Reference:
Khera AV, Chaffin M, Aragam KG, et al. Genome-wide polygenic scores for common diseases identify individuals with risk equivalent to monogenic mutations. Circulation. 2018;137:1793–1803. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.030204