February 09, 2012
New clue to heart attacks in men
Men’s increased risk
of having a heart attack is partly down to their genes, according
to a research study we part funded.
An international team, led by scientists at
the University of Leicester, showed that genetic
variations carried on the Y chromosome can significantly
increase the risk of heart attack. The Y chromosome is unique to
men.
Our Research Advisor Dr Hélène Wilson said:
“This study shows that genetic variations on the Y chromosome – the
piece of DNA that only men have – can increase a man’s risk of
coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease is the cause of
heart attacks, which claim the lives of around 50,000 UK
men every year.
This discovery could help lead to new treatments for heart disease in men
“Lifestyle choices such
as
poor diet and
smoking are major causes, but inherited factors
carried in DNA are also part of the picture. The next step is to
identify specifically
which genes are responsible
and how they might increase heart attack risk.
“This discovery could help lead to new
treatments for heart disease in men, or tests that could
tell men if they are at particularly high risk of a heart attack.
“One of the fascinating things about the study
is that it might provide a partial explanation why
Northwestern European men have more heart attacks
than their counterparts in other parts of the world.”
The discovery was published in
The Lancet.