An researcher at Duke University Medical School in North Carolina has announced the identifications of a gene or marker associated with early hardening of the arteries.
Ths can help to predict in advance whether someone is at increased risk.
It is believed that if they are able to identify the latent threat, lifestyle and dietary modifications can help the patients before too much damage is done.
The purpose is t identify the vulnerable people before they become a victim of the disease.
The gene belongs to a neuropeptide Y, one of the most plentiful and important proteins in the body. This is linked to the control of appetite and feeding behaviour, among other things.
The current research found the variations in the NPY gene that show evidence of transmission from generation to generation and association across a population of early onset coronary artery disease patients.
In this study, 1,000 families were studied for coronary artery disease or evidence of a true heart attack
