Evading Heart Attack

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine states that scientists from Germany have uncovered that a specific mutation in gene could lead to about 50% lesser chances of contracting heart attack. Scientists state that switching off this gene with medications would reduce the risk of coronary diseases significantly.

The gene in question has been identified as angiopoietin–like 4 or ANGPTL4. The gene came to limelight after the scientists analysed about 13,000 distinct genes from a pool of 200,000 participants. They were on the lookout for correlations between gene mutations and coronary artery disease.

The team discovered that participants with mutated ANGPTL4 gene had low levels of triglyceride in their blood when compared to other participants without mutated gene. Triglyceride works like energy storage for the body, but high levels can increase the chances of developing cardiovascular disease. Low levels of triglyceride on the other hand, can lower the risk of heart diseases.