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Rebecca Voelker

JAMA. 1999;282:1713.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

A new finding from researchers in Germany lends support to a genetic link in the development of heart disease.

In a study of 50 people with a family history of heart disease occurring before age 60, the researchers discovered an impaired ability to regulate blood flow to the heart. The impairment stems from malfunctions in coronary artery endothelial cells that control expansion and relaxation of blood vessels. Without proper blood flow regulation, atherosclerotic plaque may form more quickly in the vessels and increase the risk of myocardial infarction.

The study showed that in the 50 individuals with a family history of premature heart disease, normal coronary blood vessels with no atherosclerotic blockage did not expand and relax properly. Their ability to increase blood flow, which protects the vascular wall, was reduced by more than 30% in comparison with controls who did not have a family history of early . . . [Full Text of this Article]