Scientists Associate 6 New Genetic Variants with Heart Disease Risk Factor

Using new techniques for rapidly scanning the human genome, researchers have associated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, two fats in the blood, to 18 genetic variants, six of which represent new DNA regions never before associated with the traits. The findings, appearing in the January 13 advance online issue of Nature Genetics, help explain some of the variability in cholesterol and triglyceride levels that arises from genes. With the potential to help predict a patient’s genetic risk of heart disease, the six new loci may point to novel aspects of cholesterol metabolism and could also spur new cholesterol-lowering drugs.