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Genes influence heart disease risk from fatty diet
Oct 22 (Reuters Health) - A new study adds weight to the argument that some people are simply blessed with good genes when it comes to their health.


According to the report, people with a certain variation in the hepatic lipase gene--LIPC--are more prone to the heart-damaging effects of a high-fat diet. Levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol were lower among adults with two copies of the variation who consumed a diet high in saturated fat. The same diet did not cause a decrease in HDL among adults with only one copy of the gene, which helps to regulate the way HDL is broken down in the body.


The findings, published in the October 29th rapid access edition of
Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, provide clues to a dietary dilemma that has stumped researchers.


"This is another piece in the puzzle that helps us explain why some people will react to a dietary change while others do not," Dr. Jose M. Ordovas from Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts, said in a prepared statement.


In an interview with Reuters Health, Ordovas said that the findings point to a mechanism by which a gene works, and reinforce the idea that certain people need to restrict their intake of saturated fat. He said that about 4% to 5% of the population has the mutation in both genes, but this proportion varies among ethnic groups.


The study, while preliminary, can also help researchers to devise dietary recommendations for heart disease based on genetics. People with two copies of the gene variant, for instance, might benefit from a severe restriction in animal fat, since a low HDL level is a major risk factor for heart disease.


At this point, however, more research is needed before testing for the gene becomes commonplace.


The study included more than 2,000 US adults with an average age of 55 years, who had their blood drawn and answered questions about their diets. Researchers determined whether they carried the C, or normal, variant of the LIPC gene, or the less-common T version--or both.


"Good" cholesterol levels were lowest among those with two copies of the "T" gene variant who consumed 30% or more of their total calories from fat. Dietary guidelines recommend eating less than 30% of total calories from fat. Not surprisingly, those with two copies of the gene who consumed a low-fat diet had HDL levels that were 16% higher than their peers.


Among individuals with one T version of the gene, or none, good cholesterol levels rose even as fat intake increased.


The relationship between fat intake and genotype held for saturated fat, found in animal products like meat and dairy, and monounsaturated fat, found in nuts, olives and avocados. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, found in some fish and fish oil, did not appear to influence the relationship between genotype and HDL levels.


SOURCE: Circulation 2002;106:2315-2321.



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