UVA researchers find gene that may affect arteries

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) - Researchers with the UVA School of Medicine say they’ve identified a gene that plays a role in finding underlying causes for a wide range of serious heart conditions.

Experts with UVA Health say a lot of the risks with vascular health are hidden in the DNA, rather than stemming from lifestyle choices.

They believe they found a gene that affects cellular processes that shape our arteries. These changes, over time, could lead to vascular problems, like heart attacks.

“People are undergoing these gene risk score tests, where they actually look for these subtle changes across many genes. So it could help inform those types of tests for patients that may have extremely high cholesterol levels,” Clint Miller with the UVA School of Medicine said.

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