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'Switching off' genes can help halve heart attack risk
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
German researchers have come to the conclusion that genes are directly related to the development of heart attacks and if we learn to influence such genes, we can significantly reduce the risk of developing a heart attack.
After conducting research, specialists suggested that genes can be influenced with the help of drugs; it was also established that the ANGPTL4 gene is associated with the development of a heart attack, which, together with poor nutrition, can affect the level of fats in the blood.
The research group's work took place at the Technical University of Germany. The scientific group tried to find a connection between ischemia and genetic variations. During the work, they analyzed various genes in 200 thousand volunteers (more than 10 thousand genes were analyzed in total). The experiment involved not only patients who had suffered a heart attack in the past, but also healthy people.
As a result, the specialists found what they were looking for – a connection was identified with a number of genes, including the ANGPTL4 gene. A more in-depth study showed that changes in ANGPTL4, identified in some study participants, reduced the level of triglycerides (fats) in the blood several times.
Triglycerides are primarily associated with the energy function - thanks to them, the fat cells store energy for the body. Bad cholesterol combined with high triglyceride levels increases the likelihood of developing a heart attack, as well as various diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
The changes identified by the researchers disable the ANGPTL4 gene, resulting in a decrease in triglyceride levels and, along with that, a decrease in the risk of developing a heart attack. According to the scientists, the body does not urgently need the ANGPTL4 gene and its “disabling” will not affect the functioning of organs and systems.
This research will help develop new drugs that will turn off the ANGPTL4 gene and help reduce the risk of heart attack.
Japanese scientists also studied the factors influencing the development of strokes and heart attacks, and found that the habit of eating breakfast reduces the risk of intracerebral hemorrhages. Scientists studied the lifestyle of more than 80 thousand people over 25 years, and as a result of observations it was found that in the group of volunteers who regularly ate breakfast, the risk of hemorrhages was 36% lower, compared to those who refused to eat in the morning.
According to experts, starting a new day on an empty stomach causes an increase in blood pressure, which is known to be one of the causes of cerebral hemorrhages.
At the same time, researchers have established that the development of ischemic stroke is not at all associated with the habit of eating breakfast; experts do not rule out that high blood pressure has a lesser effect on the risk of heart attack than stroke.
As a result of their observations, Japanese experts did not find a connection between the habit of eating in the morning and the risk of developing a heart attack.
Colleagues of the Japanese researchers noted that such results may only be characteristic of Japan, where the overall level of obesity in the population is lower.