Heart News
Experimental drug to edit DNA could offer permanent fix for high cholesterol levels
The treatment might cure genetic condition that increases the risk of heart disease
Anew medication that alters a gene responsible for high cholesterol levels has shown promise for treating patients with a genetic disorder that raises their levels of bad cholesterol since an early age .
LDL cholesterol is a waxy substance that can build up in the arteries and block blood �ow , causing a heart attack or stroke , but people with an inherited condition called familial hypercholesterolemia face an increased risk due to genetic mutations that make it harder for the body to remove cholesterol from the blood . If untreated , it can cause a heart attack in about 50 percent of men by the age of 50 and in roughly �� percent of women by the age of �� , according to the �S Centers for �isease Control and �revention .
The new drug , called �����-��� , successfully lowered cholesterol levels in patients with a specific type of the condition � hetero�ygous familial hypercholesterolemia � by modifying the gene �CS�� in a way that prevents it from raising blood cholesterol .
“ We can achieve clinically meaningful LDL reductions with a single dose ,” said study leader Dr Andrew Bellinger , a cardiologist and chief scientific officer at biotechnology company �erve Therapeutics .
People with the condition usually have to take medications for life , but in some cases these are not able to lower cholesterol to a healthy level . �����-��� promises to make daily treatment a thing of the past . �This whole concept of �one and done ’ is really ama�ing , � �r �am Taub , a cardiologist at the University of California , San Diego , who was not involved in the research , told Science News .
However , �r Taub stressed there were still potential safety issues to investigate as one patient in the trial had a heart attack . Similarly , �r �arol �atson , a cardiologist at the �avid Geffen School of �edicine at UCLA , told Science News that this “ is a strategy that could be revolutionary , but we have to make sure it ’ s safe . �ou are changing the genome forever . �
Couples may also share high blood pressure
Evidence could improve treatment with customised management for couples
Alarge international trial suggests that middleaged and older straight people are at increased risk of suffering from high blood pressure when their partner or spouse has it .
Researchers delved into the blood pressure readings of almost 34,000 couples from the US , UK , India , and China , people who were married or living together as partners . The results showed that in nearly half of them both partners had hypertension , i . e ., high blood pressure . The evidence could be useful to better treat the condition by offering coupletailored management .
“ Many people know that high blood pressure is common in middle-aged and older adults , yet we were surprised to find that among many older couples , both husband and wife had high blood pressure ,” the study ’ s senior author , Dr Chihua Li , a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Michigan , said in a news release . ��or instance , in the � . S ., among more than 35 % of couples who were ages 50 or older , both had high blood pressure . �
Previous research conducted in small regions or single countries had already shown that partners might share hypertension , but the new study is the first to analyse couples in different high- and middleincome countries , according to co-author Dr Jithin Sam �arghese , an assistant research professor at �mory Global �iabetes �esearch Center at �mory �niversity .
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