Tuesday 10th June 2008
A new study published in the journal Nature Genetics suggests that some people develop an enlarged heart on account of certain problems in their genes. An enlarged heart can lead to a heart attack and eventually death.
Heart growth can become irregular on account of various known factors which include strenuous exercise, high blood pressure and obesity. Enlarged hearts are a common but not certain occurrence among obese people, diabetics, and those with high blood pressure. While the condition can affect people without these conditions, it can also affect athletes who are extremely fit.
However, the role of genes in the development of this condition has so far been largely unknown. The new study by an international team of researchers has now provided this missing link. Researchers from the Medical Research Council??s Clinical Sciences Centre and the National Heart and Lung Institute at Imperial College, London studied rodents and around 30 human volunteers as part of their study.
They found that osteoglycin (Ogn) ?? a gene that has never before been connected to the heart??s functioning ?? was responsible for regulating the growth of the left ventricle, the heart??s main pumping chamber. If the gene starts behaving abnormally, it can cause the heart to become enlarged and put the person at higher risk of common heart diseases and heart attacks.
Noting that lowering blood pressure is the only treatment option currently available for enlarged hearts, the researchers expressed the belief that their findings could lead to new treatments. ??But, now that we are unravelling how genes control heart growth, we can gain a better understanding of common forms of heart disease,? Dr. Stuart Cook, one of the study authors said. ??This could lead to new and more effective ways of treating people.?
While the study is the first one to positively link genes to enlarged hearts, it is not the first one on the subject; an earlier study at University College, London suggested that there might be a link between genes involved in metabolism and the heart condition.
Stressing on the fact that it is necessary to understand the processes that lead to the condition, associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, Professor Jeremy Pearson said, ??When a person??s heart is continually struggling to meet demand ?? for example following damage by a heart attack ?? it may enlarge, lose its elasticity and not pump efficiently. These researchers have used highly advanced technology to discover a new gene ?? osteoglycin ?? that is important in controlling heart growth in these conditions. Osteoglycin is now a potential target to aim for with future therapies.?
