‘DNA is not destiny’
It is well known that a healthy lifestyle — not smoking, avoiding excess weight, and getting regular exercise — can reduce the risk of heart disease. But what about people who have inherited gene variants known to increase risk? A study led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators has found that, even among those at high genetic risk, leading a healthy lifestyle can cut in half the probability of a heart attack or similar event. The report received early online publication in the New England Journal of Medicine to coincide with a presentation at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions. “The basic message of our study is that DNA is not destiny,” said senior author Sekar Kathiresan, director of the Center for Human Genetic Research at MGH and an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School (HMS). “Many individuals — both physicians and members of the general public — have...