A study led by researchers at University College London shows that women carrying the BCAR1 gene are more likely to suffer of a heart attack or a stroke than those without this gene. Men, on the other hand, have no increased risk.
This gene, which has already been identified in previous studies as being responsible for thickening the walls of blood vessels, would increase the risk of cardiovascular disease when combined with estrogen. “We knew that women have a lower overall risk of coronary heart disease than men. But we also knew that heart attack is not the monopoly of men. So we tried to find out what could be the female risk factors “ says Dr. Freya Boardman-Pretty, lead author of the study published in the professional journal Circulation: cardiovascular genetics.
To determine the gene’s impact on cardiovascular disease, British researchers analyzed data from 5 previous studies involving 4,000 men and women. By comparing their genes, the thickness and health of their arteries. They found that women had an increased risk of stroke or heart attack ranging from 2.5 to 6.1% depending on which version of the gene they carry.
This discovery could open the way to new avenues of research for the development of drugs.
Read also :
More and more cardiovascular diseases in young women
Soft drinks increase heart risk
Infarctions: they are more frequent in stations
