Heart Disease predisposition genetically linked to 9p21
gene.
People identified with the genetic variants of 9p21 that is
linked to cardiovascular disease may now have some control as to their overall
health outcome. Research has shown that eating raw fruits and vegetables could
weaken the effect of this gene. Researchers at McMaster and McGill Universities
performed a large scale study on people with a high risk genotype for
cardiovascular disease. The study incorporated 27,000 individuals from five
ethnicities, European, South Asian, Chinese, Latin American and Arab. Their
study monitored these high risk genotypes individuals on the effects of eating
a diet of raw fruits and vegetables and berries and how it altered if any the
9p21 genetic marker. They compared their findings to a control low risk
genotype group and found the high risk individuals were comparable in heart
attack risk as to their low risk genotype people.
"Our research suggests there may be an important interplay between genes and diet in
cardiovascular disease," the study's lead author Dr. Ron Do, who conducted
this research as part of his PhD at McGill and is now based at the Center for
Human Genetics Research at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston,
Massachusetts. The results of their study are published in the current issue of
the journal PLoS
Medicine.
This information can be found at the following links:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111011171553.htm
http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1001106
This makes me glad that I chose a "cleaner" diet as my New Year's Resolution this year, since heart disease runs on both sides of my family! I'm interested in knowing what fruits and vegetables specifically were used in these studies and which ones were shown to work the best in altering the 9p21 gene. I also wonder which ethnicity, if any, showed the highest response in 9p21 gene variance or alteration due to the healthy diet. Good work!
ReplyDeleteIt says the study was preformed by 27,000 individuals from five ethnicity. I'm curious to know why those of African descent were not part of the experimental group. After a little bit of self research, I found that in 2009 a survey done by the office of minority health stated that 302,000 African Americans and 231,000 non-hispanic white men died from heart diseases that year. With women it was 195,000 as opposed to 142,000 respectively http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=3018. I find it peculiar that people who suffer from this disease the most are excluded from the study.
ReplyDeleteIn response to your statement of how people that suffer from this disease are excluded from the study. I would imagine all studies have certain criteria in development. Possibly the criteria was too broad, or developed to display a certain window of individuals, or possibly the people developing the study utilized individuals in the study bassed on personal preference. This certainly leaves questions to the uninformed.
ReplyDeleteEating plenty of fruits and vegetables not only reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, but also helps control high blood pressure, and aids in the prevention of some type of cancers. In addition, it will reduce the risk of diverticulitis which is a painful intestinal aliment.
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