Cholesterol: Scientists identify new genes related to blood triglycerides

An international team of scientists identified 95 genes, 59 of them unknown through a study, that are related to the level of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

The study was published Thursday in the journal Nature and it has great therapeutic opportunities for all who suffer from heart disease, leading cause of death in many developed countries in the world.

It is the most comprehensive study of all so far and had the participation of 117 different institutions with 100,184 people of European origin and 35,000 outside Europe.

Blood samples were taken from patients to measure the level of blood fat, including cholesterol and triglycerides, and then, it was traced their DNA, looking up to 2,500,000 genetic variants of each one, at a crossroads of data that brought new revelations.

Among the 95 genes, the scientists identified those which contributed to raise or lower the levels of good and bad blood cholesterol and triglycerides, 59 which were unknown and many are found in chromosomal sites not previously interacted with cholesterol.

They found that three of the genetic variants could be used to produce drugs designed to reduce the risk of stroke.