Summary
People living in the isolated Greek villages of Zoniana and Anogia have a noted tendency to live well into old age. They have a lower than expected incidence of cardiovascular disease, including heart problems, heart attacks and stroke. It seems that a genetic variant shared by these villagers may help to protect their hearts by lowering the levels of “bad” fats and cholesterol.
“Despite a diet rich in animal fat, the people of Mylopotamos in northern Crete do not suffer from cardiovascular disease”.
Reference
Roxby, P. (2017). Why Greek mountain villagers have healthy hearts. London: BBC Health News, May 26th 2017.
See also:
Reference
Isolated Greek villages reveal genetic secrets that protect against heart disease. [Press release]. Cambridge: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, May 26th 2017.
This relates to:
Reference
Southam, L. Gilly, A. Süveges, D. [et al] (2017). Whole genome sequencing and imputation in isolated populations identify genetic associations with medically-relevant complex traits. Nature Communications. May 26th 2017; 8: 15606.
