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Archiver > WINTERS > 2003-11 > 1070235662


From: "Nena Smothers" <>
Subject: [WINTERS] DNA finds Heart attack gene!
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2003 15:41:04 -0800


~~Ironic we had been discussing inheritant traits.....so many folks
mentioned heart attacks...well, here is some good and I suppose too, bad
news...but with this new discovery it appears if a family does
have this genetic DNA, and does testing to find out, which I Think is well
worth it, then the good news is Prevention is a way of Cure or
Recession.....Nena

By PAUL RECER, AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON - The first gene linked directly to heart attacks has been
isolated from an extended Iowa family that has been plagued for generations
with rampant coronary artery disease.The gene, called
MEF2A, plays a role in protecting the artery walls from building up plaque
that can impede blood flow and lead to heart attacks, said Dr. Eric J. Topol
of the Cleveland Clinic, head of a team that discovered the gene."This is
the first heart attack gene," said Topol. "Everyone who has this gene
mutation is destined to have the disease. If you don't have this gene in
this family, you appear to free from developing this disease."

A report on the discovery Friday was in the journal Science.
Topol said that his team analyzed the genes of about 100 members of an Iowa
family where heart disease and heart attack have been common for generation
after generation. They found that members of the family with heart disease
had a MEF2A gene that lacked some key bits of DNA. This apparently causes
the arteries to thicken and become clogged. It will take more study to
determine if MEF2A plays a role in heart disease among people outside of
families where the mutation is inherited. The gene makes a protein that
regulates some other genes and Topol said those will now be analyzed to see
if they can be linked generally to heart disease. "We have learned from
other genetic studies that once you get the first gene it starts to unlock
the whole story," said Topol.

On the Net: Science: http://www.sciencemag.org

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