Scientists Pinpoint Genes Likely to Cause CAD

July 25, 2007 - Researchers have confirmed that six new genetic variants increase the likelihood of developing coronary artery disease (CAD), according to a study by the University of Leicester and the University of Leeds, UK, and the Universities of Lubeck and Regensburg, Germnay, published by the journal New England Journal of Medicine.

The study, part of the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium (WTCCC) and the largest study to date of the genetics of common disease, involved a genome-wide analysis conducted on 2,000 participants with CAD and 3,000 healthy controls as. The findings were then compared with the German MI Family Study, with almost 900 addition cases and 1600 additional controls.

The study showed that changes in our DNA on chromosomes 2, 6, 10 and 15 and two on chromosome 1 were associated with increased risk of developing CAD and heart attacks. Researchers also confirmed the importance of a variant on chromosome 9.

For more information: www.wellcome.ac.uk