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Chromosomes possess the blueprints that determine everything about us—our eye color, height and other features. Now, new research finds that the size of certain protein complexes at the ends of chromosomes may determine our risk for heart problems.
Chromosome Caps
At both ends of a chromosome are DNA-protein “caps,” called telomeres. They protect chromosomes from both breaking down and fusing with neighboring chromosomes.
A study by Christian T. Ruff, MD, MPH, of the Cardiovascular Division, suggests a strong link between telomere (or “cap”) length and heart problems in patients with acute coronary syndrome, a condition that occurs when not enough blood reaches the heart.
The study found that patients with shorter telomeres had the highest risk of heart attack or dying from heart disease. Shorter telomeres were mostly found in older patients, as well as in men, patients who smoked and those who had a prior heart attack or heart failure.
“We know that many different genetic and environmental factors, like diabetes, high cholesterol and smoking can make it more likely for someone to have heart problems,” said Ruff. “But even when accounting for all of these other known risk factors, patients with short telomeres have an increased risk of having a heart attack or dying from heart disease.”
Short End of the Chromosome, Now What?
The link between telomere length and heart problems may help doctors better diagnose heart disease in the future. According to Ruff, measuring telomeres may be useful since they can act as predictors for heart attack and other cardiovascular events.
“Telomere shortening may represent some sort of ‘biological clock,’” said Ruff. “This clock can give us information about the environmental and genetic stresses on the body, both of which can contribute to heart problems.”
The researchers will continue to study the relationship between telomeres and cardiovascular events to see if their findings hold true in other patient populations.
They also plan to experiment on whether the rate of telomere shortening over time can also predict heart problems.
“In the future, we aim to identify clinical, biochemical and genetic characteristics that predict telomere shortening,” said Ruff. “We hope to have the ability to determine if therapies and medications that impact these processes may delay telomere shortening and reduce the risk of heart problems in patients.”