It’s in the genes

We cannot choose the family we are born into. Similarly, we do not have any say in the genes we are born with. Technology has advanced only to the extent where we know what most of the human genes do, but we cannot alter them in an effort to change them just yet, although efforts are under way to treat genetic diseases by replacing the offending gene with a normal one.Diseases may result from malfunctioning genes, such as T-cadherin. This gene, which results in the production of the T-cadherin protein, is believed to be associated with cholesterol, although its function is largely unknown. Scientists have found increased production of the protein in hardening arteries, and in a recent study, the gene was found to be associated with heart disease.
The study was conducted in nearly 190 adult males, between the ages of 26 and 55 years, who had recently been diagnosed with coronary heart disease. The subjects’ DNA was obtained from the bio-bank at the hospital, and screened for mutations in the T-cadherin gene. The mutations were analyzed for their effects on heart disease, both independently and in association with known risk factors of heart disease such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes or cholesterol. The results demonstrated that the nature of the mutations could predict the kind of coronary heart disease the person was likely to have, whether it was a sudden myocardial infarction (heart attack) or prolonged angina pectoris (heart pain). These conditions strongly depend upon the stability of atherosclerotic plaques that form on the walls of the arteries. Therefore, the results from this study also provide evidence that T-cadherin is possibly involved in the formation of the plaques. These findings propose a point of reference for predicting the risk of heart attack in people who may be predisposed to heart disease, thus enabling the recommendation of a preventive treatment regimen that could help stave off the occurrence of the disease.
The only thing standing between you and a healthy heart may be a simple genetic screening.

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