An international group of researchers has warned that India may have 60 percent of the world’s heart disease patients by 2010, for a study has shown that one in 25 individuals in the country carries a genetic mutation that raises risk of heart disease.Almost 1pct of the world’s population carries a genetic mutation that leads to heart problems, while in India the mutation reaches a frequency of 4 pct, say the researchers.
The mutation, a deletion of 25 letters of genetic code from the heart protein gene MYBPC3, is virtually restricted to people from the Indian subcontinent.But there, Caste and Tribe, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian and others are all united by this affliction. One in 25 people of Indians carry this mutation.
People carrying the mutation can be identified at a young age by genetic screening and a healthier lifestyle.The report appears in Nature Genetics.
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