The most critical genes that cause coronary heart disease and trigger heart attacks have been identified in a major new study.
Executive Director of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute, Professor Jason Kovacic, was lead author on the paper and says the study achieved three major breakthroughs, all of which were of key importance in the fight against heart disease.
“Firstly, we have now more accurately defined the precise genes that are likely to cause coronary heart disease. Second, we’ve identified exactly where in the body the main effect of those genes is – it might be in the heart arteries themselves that directly cause blockages, or perhaps the effect is in the liver to increase cholesterol levels, or in the blood to change inflammation,” adds Professor Kovacic.
“The third major achievement was to rank those genes – 162 in total – in order of priority for causing coronary heart disease.”
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Professor Kovacic says: “This knowledge will allow us to go after these really critical genes that cause heart attacks, as we now know just how highly-deserving they are of immediate in-depth study to understand exactly how they cause coronary heart disease and if they might be promising drug targets for patients.
