DNA identifies risk of heart attacks

[JOEYZ]

DNA find may identify early heart risk victims


Ian Sample, Science correspondent
Thursday May 3, 2007
Guardian Unlimited


Scientists have discovered a strand of DNA that dramatically raises the risk of coronary heart disease and doubles the chances of younger people suffering a heart attack prematurely.
The high-risk stretch of genes is common among Caucasian populations, with up to a quarter carrying copies that boost the risk of heart disease by 40% and increase the lifetime risk of a heart attack by 60%.

Early-onset heart attacks, occurring in men under 50 and women under 60, were found to be twice as likely among those who inherited the high-risk gene sequence from both their mother and father.

The strand of DNA, reported in the prestigious US journal Science today, is believed to be the most important genetic factor for heart disease yet found.

Two groups of researchers, working independently of each other, identified the gene sequence after comparing the entire genomes of more than 40,000 people. Researchers from one of the teams, a Reykjavik-based biotech company called deCODE, hopes to have a test for the gene variant available by the end of the year, to identify people most at risk of developing heart disease later in life.

Those who test positive would be encouraged to reduce their risk of heart attack by taking cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statins, and encouraged to have heart scans to look for early signs of arterial disease.

The other team was led by Ruth McPherson at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in Canada.

The twin studies reveal the dramatic influence that genetic factors have on the risk of heart disease, in addition to the well-documented effects of smoking, diet and exercise.

"This is likely to be the biggest genetic factor for heart disease and it gives a very dramatic increase in heart disease," said Kari Stefansson of deCODE. "Early-onset heart attacks unexpectedly take the lives of young people, and these are the heart attacks that are most important to prevent. If we can identify the risk factors, we have ways of dealing with the problem."

The strand of genes raises the risk of cancer by causing cells to multiply rapidly, causing a build up of cells in heart blood vessels and eventually causing them to become blocked.

Nilesh Samani, professor of cardiology at Leicester University, said the findings would help greatly to underestand heart disease, but a person's familial history of heart disease was still the best predictor of their risk. "It's a bit early to say a test is useful," he said.

[Nigbo]

Good read brotha

[powerlifter]

Interesting - nice read JZ

[liftsiron]

Very interesting read.