Double checking genetic changes linked to heart attacks

Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States. Many factors can lead to a heart attack. A high fat diet, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking can all increase your risk of a heart attack. Family history may also play a part. Scientists found that certain gene changes may increase your risk of a heart attack. The study focused on people of European decent. The group at Vanderbilt will use BioVU to look for similar patients that have had a heart attack. Then they will look for the known gene changes. The goal is to find the same gene changes linked to heart attacks in BioVU. This study may help us learn how gene changes affect a person’s risk of a heart attack. It may also help some people make better choices to reduce other risks.