Gene Linked with Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke in Women
Researchers have identified a gene variant associated with the early signs of heart disease and stroke in women, according to a report in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology.
None of the more than 11,000 participants in the 25-year study has yet had heart disease or a stroke, but the signs point toward increased risk, says study author Dr. Edward Lammer, a pediatrician and geneticist at the Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute in California.
"We found changes in two blood vessel areas," says Dr. Lammer. "In the coronary arteries, we found calcification. We also found thickening of the carotid arteries in the neck."
A buildup of calcium makes the coronary arteries less flexible and more vulnerable to damage. Thickening of the carotid arteries, the main blood vessels to the brain, can be a prelude to a stroke.
Those changes have been seen only in women.
"We have no idea why," says Dr. Lammer, although it is possible that the signs of risk will develop later in men than in women.
Now, the researchers must wait to see whether women in whom the changes have been seen develop cardiovascular problems.
They have not so far, probably because they are too young, notes Dr. Lammer. The study began in 1971 and has followed 11,377 residents of Muscatine, Iowa, since their early teens. The Oakland researchers are working with physicians at the University of Iowa on the study.
Dr. Lammer and his colleagues measured about 100 gene variants in the study participants.
One of them, designated LTC4S, has been found to be associated with a fourfold increased risk of the early signs of heart disease and stroke, after adjustment for standard risk factors such as smoking, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels.
"What's intriguing is that the gene variant we found is involved in regulating the inflammatory response," he says. "A research group from Iceland has reported that two genes in the same pathway are risk factors for stroke. This gene generates leukotrienes, chemicals that mediate the inflammatory response."
The LTC4S gene variant has previously been associated with asthma, "which in essence is an inflammatory reaction," Dr. Lammer says.
"The hope is that our early results keep the finger pointed at the role of inflammation regulation as very important for atherosclerosis, heart disease, and stroke," notes Dr. Lammer.
The fact that the link between the gene variant and the danger signs seen so far is not associated with standard risk factors could make gene testing an important part of early risk assessment for many Americans, says Dr. Lammer.
"About half the people in the study appear to have this variant," he says.
Dr. Lammer and his associates are continuing to follow the people in the study to check on the incidence of heart disease and stroke associated with the gene variant.
"If it is a risk factor that is genetic, we could identify the risk factor very early in life and develop interventions, behavioral changes, or medications that ameliorate the risk," he says.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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It is a myth that heart disease is a man's disease. In fact, one in 14 women aged 45 to 64 has heart disease.
One in six women over the age of 65 has heart disease. Currently, 6 million women have heart disease, states the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Coronary heart disease is the single largest cause of death for females in the US.
Almost 16 percent of girls ages six to 19 are overweight, which is a risk factor for heart disease.
About 25 percent of girls in grades nine through 12 report using tobacco, which is a risk factor for heart disease.
At menopause, a woman's heart disease risk starts to increase significantly.
Each year, about 88,000 women ages 45 to 64 have a heart attack.
Beginning at age 50, more women than men have elevated cholesterol.
Each year, about 372,000 women age 65 and older have a heart attack. About 21 million women age 60 and older have high blood pressure.
The average age for women to have a first heart attack is about 70, and women are more likely than men to die within a few weeks of a heart attack.
About 35 percent of women who have had a heart attack will have another within six years.
What is a heart attack (myocardial infarction or MI)?
A heart attack, or myocardial infarction, occurs when one or more regions of the heart muscle experience a severe or prolonged decrease in oxygen supply caused by blocked blood flow to the heart muscle.
The blockage is often a result of atherosclerosis - a buildup of plaque, known as cholesterol, other fatty substances, and a blood clot.
Plaque inhibits and obstructs the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart, thus reducing the flow to the rest of the body.
If the blood and oxygen supply is cut off severely or for a long period of time, muscle cells of the heart suffer severe and devastating damage and die.
The result is damage or death to the area of the heart that became affected by reduced blood supply.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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