Fruits and Vegetables Could Modify Gene Linked to Heart Disease







Experts not involved in the Canadian research say the research provides more evidence that there is a strong gene-environment interaction involved in heart disease and other conditions.

"This may be true for other issues. There may be genetic factors that make a patient more sensitive to salt and develop hypertension, whereas another person can eat large amounts of salt and maintain normal pressure," said Dr. Carl "Chip" Lavie, medical director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Prevention at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans.

"Other studies have also shown that those who eat healthier diets tend to offset the risk that same chromosome places on them," said Dr. Phil Ragno, director of cardiovascular health and wellness at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.

Motivation for Lifestyle Change?

"We know that despite public health recommendations to eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables a day, only a minority of people take the advice seriously," said Anand. "Genetic information may be a motivation to help people take the public health recommendation seriously."

But she added that this research doesn't mean that people should go out and get genetically screened for the presence of 9p21 variants. Screening is costly and not routinely done.



