Gene Linked to Bad Cholesterol Found

A study published in the American Journal of Human Genetics has found new genes that are believed to be linked to ‘bad’ cholesterol. Researchers believe the discovery can potentially create opportunities for development of new therapies for the treatment of heart disease.

Coronary heart disease is one of the biggest causes of deaths in developed and developing countries. In the UK alone, one-in-four male and one-in-six female deaths can be attributed to heart disease. The condition accounts for nearly 233,000 deaths in the UK and more than 16 million deaths worldwide each year.

Deposits of fatty substances inside the arteries are normally the starting point of heart disease. When low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as ‘bad’ cholesterol levels increase within the arteries, the latter get clogged and blood flow becomes restricted. When the deposits break off and accumulate, blood flow is blocked and the heart is strained to supply enough blood to all parts of the body.

The medical fraternity has long believed that heart disease is a combination of physical, environmental and genetic factors. While the physical and environmental factors are well known, genetic factors have remained something of a mystery.

Researchers at The Barts and the London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry undertook a detailed study of the entire human DNA sequence to unravel this mystery and determine exactly which genes are involved in the development of heart disease. What they found was a new region on chromosome 1 that has potential links to LDL cholesterol. They found that this DNA causes blood LDL levels to increase by 6%.

Study author Professor Patricia Munroe said, “Our study found new genes for serum LDL, the cholesterol which furs arteries.” The researchers believe their discovery has the potential of saving many lives. “We believe our findings are of significant clinical importance as they are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease; they also represent excellent targets for new medicines,” Professor Munroe said.

Professor Jeremy Pearson of the British Heart Foundation said, “This finding has the potential to lead to the development of new drugs to help lower cholesterol levels which in turn could help thousands of heart patients across the UK.”

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