[caption id="attachment_4128" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="Telomeres are DNA-protein complexes at the ends of chromosomes."]
Many different genetic and environmental factors, like diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking predispose patients to suffering cardiovascular events. Even when accounting for all of these other known risk factors, patients with short telomeres have an increased risk of having a heart attack.
It is weird to think that measuring telomere length may be useful for many people by being able to predict the risk of cardiovascular events. This can be helpful in increasing prevention. Although obviously there are environmental factors that contribute to an increased risk of heart disease, it is good to know there are genetic factors that could help prevent it.
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