A genetic component is believed to play an important role in valvular heart disease, but the specific genes involved have not been identified. Now an interntional group of researchers has identified genetic variations that increase the risk for valvular calcification.
In a paper published in the New England Journal of Medicine, members of the Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genome Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium report on their search for genes associated with aortic valve calcification and mitral annular calcification in several of study cohorts. They found one SNP, in a gene previously shown to be associated with lipoprotein(a) levels and the risk of coronary artery disease, to be significantly associated with a doubling of the risk for aortic-valve calcification. This finding was replicated in additional cohorts.
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