Heart disease is the leading killer of people living in the United States. Citizens are urged through various forms of media, including television, radio, internet and print, to eat right and exercise to prevent heart disease from ending their lives at a young age. While diet and exercise are critical to preventing heart disease, sometimes its cause is deep within, at the cellular level. Recently scientists reported that genetics plays a large role in a person’s susceptibility to heart problems. Over 100,000 subjects from all areas of the globe contributed to a recent study in which findings indicate that between 25 and 35 percent of high cholesterol and triglyceride level predisposition is inherited. High cholesterol and triglyceride levels are contributors to heart disease.

Scientists from over 15 countries cooperated researching specific genomes contributing to heart disease. The study, funded by several organizations, including the National Human Genome Research Institute, concluded that a specific set of genomes is responsible for heart disease. Previously, only small clues indicating the risk of inherited heart disease were found. Now, with these new findings, scientists can expand on their current knowledge base and move research in the right direction concerning the microscopic mechanisms that can lead to elevated risk for heart disease.

Research yielded over 90 genetic variations which can lead to higher levels of cholesterol and triglyceride levels in people of varying ethnic backgrounds. High blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels display no obvious symptoms, so most physicians do annual blood work to calculate a person’s risk. While these tests are helpful in calculating risk, results don’t always mean a person is in the clear or at high risk for developing heart disease. Genetics come into play when calculating risk and this recent study can help doctors pinpoint higher risk families. Of the genetic variations found, almost 60 hadn’t been recognized as contributors to heart disease. These findings are significant because of the variety of subjects with genetic variations; similar abnormalities were seen in people with different ethnic backgrounds, indicating that the abnormalities themselves were the underlying cause.