Blood Cell Genes May Signal Heart Disease

Another report in the same issue of the journal described an association between a specific genetic location and the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm, the abnormal ballooning and weakening of an artery in the abdomen.

"We're not trying to find a genetic test for aneurysm," said study author Dr. Matthew Bown, a lecturer in surgery at the University of Leicester in England. "We're trying to find out what is the cause of aneurysm, so we can find a better treatment."

In the study, the gene was found in 53 percent of 899 people with aneurysms and 47 percent of those without the condition, so "if you have the gene, it doesn't mean much for you as an individual," Bown said. "But genes close to this marker may be related to what causes aneurysm."

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Some questions about the genetics of heart disease are answered by Brigham and Women's Hospital.