Genes not diet determine cholesterol level
LOUISE GRAY
LUCKY people can eat all the fatty foods they want without increasing their cholesterol while the less fortunate have to watch their diets like a hawk to avoid risk of heart disease, according to a new study.
Researchers analysed how 28 pairs of identical twins - one an avid exerciser and one a "couch potato" - reacted to six weeks of a high-fat diet followed by a low-fat diet for the same period of time. After each period the twins' blood cholesterol levels were tested.
The researchers at Berkeley National Laboratory found a strong similarity in the way each pair of twins responded despite their different lifestyles - showing that genetic makeup rather than diet determines cholesterol response.
Researcher Paul William said: "Our experiment shows how important our genes are. Some people have to be careful about their diets, while others have more freedom."
But Dr Andrew Rankin, a consultant cardiologist at Glasgow University, said people who think they are the "lucky ones" should still watch their cholesterol levels with care.
He added: "If everybody lowered their cholesterol just a little bit we would lower the number of heart attacks."
LUCKY people can eat all the fatty foods they want without increasing their cholesterol while the less fortunate have to watch their diets like a hawk to avoid risk of heart disease, according to a new study.
Researchers analysed how 28 pairs of identical twins - one an avid exerciser and one a "couch potato" - reacted to six weeks of a high-fat diet followed by a low-fat diet for the same period of time. After each period the twins' blood cholesterol levels were tested.
The researchers at Berkeley National Laboratory found a strong similarity in the way each pair of twins responded despite their different lifestyles - showing that genetic makeup rather than diet determines cholesterol response.
Researcher Paul William said: "Our experiment shows how important our genes are. Some people have to be careful about their diets, while others have more freedom."
But Dr Andrew Rankin, a consultant cardiologist at Glasgow University, said people who think they are the "lucky ones" should still watch their cholesterol levels with care.
He added: "If everybody lowered their cholesterol just a little bit we would lower the number of heart attacks."
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11:32 PM
