In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers found that specific genetic changes can make people more susceptible to heart attacks.
Two papers published yesterday in the science journal Nature – by Massachusetts General Hospital and the Broad Institute of MIT & Harvard researchers – focus on the latest genetic and biological links between cholesterol and coronary heart disease. The research could lead to the creation of new drugs to treat the disease.
While researchers know that a poor diet can boost bad cholesterol and increase risk of heart attack, they also know that some people are more susceptible than others and some can eat whatever they want with no problems. This suggests there are genetic differences between people as to how their bodies manage their cholesterol levels, the study found.
By performing genetic scans across the whole DNA of over 100,000 individuals, the team found 95 different genetic alterations that play a role in how cholesterol is managed. Researchers also examined one of these changes and discovered that the change works through a previously unknown biological mechanism, giving doctors a better understanding of who might be at higher risk, as well as a new target for finding drugs that will be even more effective in managing high cholesterol levels.
“Although blood concentrations of cholesterol and triglycerides have long been known as risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the extent to which genetics contributes to those concentrations and just how alterations in the underlying genes leads to the development of disease has been incredibly difficult to piece together,” said Dr. Sekar Kathiresan, co-author of the report, in a statement.
tgrillo@bostonherald.com