Bunch of Genetic Flaws Linked to Heart Disease Identified

In what could prove to be one of the biggest medical discoveries in recent years, a team of international scientists have identified over 15 genetic flaws in the makeup of the heart that could predict the risk of heart attacks. While diet and lifestyle do play an important role in the risk of heart disease, over 50 percent of the risk has been attributed to genetic factors. Heart disease is one of the major killers across the globe accounting for more than 12 percent of annual deaths in the world.

Scientists from across the world studied the heart structure of more than 140,000 people and identified at least 17 different genetic variants that are vital in determining the risk of a person suffering from a heart disease.

“Understanding how these genes work, which is the next step, will vastly improve our knowledge of how the disease develops, and could ultimately help to develop new treatments”, British Heart Foundation’s Professor Nilesh Samani said.


Source-Medindia