ITALIANS IN HEART ADVANCE
source: http://www.ansa.it/site/notizie/awnplus/english/news/2009-03-05_105332368.html
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Italian researchers have discovered a gene they believe is responsible for regulating the rigidity of arteries, one of the major causes of heart disease. National Research Council (CNR) researchers in Cagliari, working with various international groups, have now identified a gene that is implicated in the condition, paving the way for new treatment and prevention. ''We conducted a survey on the genomes of more than 4,000 Sardinian individuals and found that the COL4A1 gene plays a determining role in the development of arterial rigidity,'' said project chief Manuela Uda of CNR. Further studies will now be needed to explore how the gene works and develop treatments to delay or prevent health risks linked to hardening of the arteries, she said. ProgeNIA is looking at the DNA of 6,000 people in four Sardinian villages, isolated for thousands of years, to examine the common elements in their genomes and try to explain why they live so long.
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- News and Politics, Earth and Science, Health
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- News and Politics, Earth and Science, Health, Italy, 1 more
