The heart disease mutation carried by 60 million
he worst luck in the world? Muscle protein gene mutation in one in 100
Heart disease is the number one killer in the world and India carries more than its share of this burden. Moreover, the problem is set to rise: it is predicted that by 2010 India's population will suffer approximately 60% of the world's heart disease. Today, an international team of 25 scientists from four countries provides a clue to why this is so: 1% of the world's population carries a mutation almost guaranteed to lead to heart problems and most of these come from the Indian subcontinent, where the mutation reaches a frequency of 4%.
Heart disease has many causes, some carried in our genes and others linked to our lifestyle, but all seemingly complex, hard to pin down and incompletely understood. So the new study published in Nature Genetics is striking for the size and simplicity of the effect it reports.
The mutation, a deletion of 25 letters of genetic code from the heart protein gene MYBPC3, is virtually restricted to people from the Indian subcontinent. But there, Caste and Tribe, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian and others are all united by this affliction.
The mutation was discovered five years ago in two Indian families with cardiomyopathy, but its significance only became apparent after almost 1500 people from many parts of India, some with heart disease and some without, were studied.
Scientists express this genetic risk as an odds ratio, where 1.2 would be a small effect and 2.0 a large one. For the MYBPC3 mutation, the odds ratio is almost off-scale, a staggering 7.0. Carriers usually show few symptoms until middle age, but after that age most are symptomatic and suffer from a range of effects, at worst sudden cardiac death. ..
Read more @ EurekAlert
Asian heart disease gene found
A gene mutation that almost guarantees the development of heart disease is carried by 60m people, researchers say.
Around 4% people from the Indian subcontinent have the mutation, which increases the risk of heart disease seven-fold, Nature Genetics reports.
It is rare to find a gene which has such a big effect and is so common, the international team of scientists said.
Experts said it could lead to a screening test but it was not yet clear if it would aid treatment decisions.
Heart disease is a massive global killer, and it is predicted that by 2010 India's population will suffer approximately 60% of the world's heart disease...
Read more @ BBC News
Is this gene racist?
Don't just do something! Stand there.
* Why in the above article, are the religions listed in bold?
* What has what the study has shown associated with religion?
I highlighted that bit ti embolden the fact that it affects all casts, tribes (and religions) there and the only "natural barrier" seems to be of not being from the subcontinent.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
I find it wierd that in a scientific article , theyv mentioned religion. Religion is your personal belief. A mutation is something physical happening inside you....I dont know how to explain what Im thinking..
But if religious communities stay within themselves, only marry within etc, those religious beliefs can also have physical results even where the two communities are geographically in the same location.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Yes, thats true.
But that should be specified from the area they are from. Not religiously.
They say the gene is found in asian people. That sounds ok. Asian people referring to people from the same continent. People who have married other people who are similiar in place/location. The idea of generalising that it does affect/does not affect a religious group sounds doesnt sound right.
Ont he other hand if iut was not specified that it affects all, people of other religions could assume that it does not affect them. Muslims could think "it only affects the hindus" who would think Sikh who would think uslim who would think christian...
I see no harm in the clarification.
"For too long, we have been a passively tolerant society, saying to our citizens 'as long as you obey the law, we will leave you alone'" - David Cameron, UK Prime Minister. 13 May 2015.
Theres no harm in it at all.
I just found it wierd. You don't often really come across scientific articles which also mention religion.
Actually reading over that specific paragraph. It sounds like they are emphasizing to everyone that yes, it might affect you , you and you. So people dont take it lightly.