"Heart Disease Is A Price Humans Pay For Fertility" - Amy Norton
Certain genes linked to heart disease may also improve your chances of having children, a new study suggests. Researchers said the findings seem to offer a potential explanation for why evolution has allowed these genes to persist for centuries. The new study suggests one answer: the team found that a few dozen genes tied to heart disease might also contribute to people's "reproductive success." Heart disease is, of course, a complex condition that involves many different factors. Even if Mother Nature insists that humans carry heart-disease genes, there is still plenty that people can do about it, according to Robert Rosenson, MD, professor of medicine and cardiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. “Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited disorder caused by a single genetic defect, and it leads to very high ‘bad’ cholesterol levels and a substantial risk of premature heart disease, but even with those genetic cards stacked against them,” Dr. Rosenson said, “People with FH can prevent or delay heart complications – by taking cholesterol medication, exercising regularly, not smoking and eating a healthy diet.”
- Robert Rosenson, MD, Professor, Medicine, Cardiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Cardiometabolic Disorders
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