Gene Clue Found for Small Babies' Later Heart Risk

[NSX]

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)

 

It's known that babies who are born smaller than average tend to develop heart problems later in life. Now, Canadian scientists have uncovered a clue that may help explain why this is so.

 

Low-birthweight babies are less likely to carry a copy of a particular gene -- known as APOE2 -- that protects against cardiovascular disease, according to an article in the Journal of Medical Genetics.

 

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Because APOE2 has been linked with a lower heart disease risk, and babies born with growth restriction are at higher risk of heart disease, "our data reconcile these two observations," Infante-Rivard and associates write.

 

Full article at: http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews&storyID=3323895