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New genetic link found between cholesterol and heart disease

Tuesday 30th August 2016
Research at the University of Oxford has provided further evidence to show cholesterol can lead to heart disease. Image Credit: Christopher Futcher via iStock
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Researchers at the University of Oxford and University College London have provided further insight into how genes can play a role in the relationship between cholesterol and heart disease.

Published in the journal JAMA Cardiology, the study found that people who had genes that made it more likely for them to have lower levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol had a decreased risk of heart disease. In contrast, the findings also revealed that their risk of suffering from diabetes increased with this genetic makeup.

The researchers looked at large sets of genetic information to see the possible effects of two types of cholesterol, low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, on heart disease risk. They also examined the impact of a form of dietary fat known as triglycerides.

Funded by the British Heart Foundation, the study compared heart disease and diabetes rates in people with and without certain naturally occurring variations in genes, which were already known to impact levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in their blood.

It found that people with genetic variations that increased their LDL cholesterol or triglyceride levels were at a higher risk of heart disease. However, those with genetic variations that caused their LDL or HDL cholesterol to rise were at a slightly decreased risk of having diabetes.

These findings further support previous studies that have shown higher levels of LDL cholesterol can raise the risk of heart attack or stroke. They also help explain why people who take statins have a modest increase in the risk of developing diabetes.

The researchers make it clear that, although there is a slightly higher risk of developing diabetes, the protective effect of statins against heart disease and stroke substantially outweigh it.

Dr Michael Holmes, senior clinical research fellow from the University of Oxford, who led the research, said: "Our findings suggest that there could be a potential role for therapies that increase HDL cholesterol in the treatment and prevention of diabetes."

Written by Mathew Horton

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