Article Abstract:
Variants of the coagulation factor VII gene may affect the level of clotting protein in the blood and the rate of heart attack. Researchers compared 165 patients who had a heart attack as well as a close family history of cardiovascular disease with 225 patients with no such history. Particular variants of the coagulation factor VII gene were associated with increased risk for heart attack. Patients with the lowest risk of heart attack had other variants of the gene and the lowest levels of factor VII. The gene may regulate factor VII levels and thus have an effect on heart attack risk.
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Article Abstract:
Protection against myocardial infarction in some patients with severe coronary atherosclerosis is mediated by some but not all genotypic patterns of coagulation factor VII. Implications of the factor VII gene polymorphisms on the levels of factor IV levels were studied in 311 patients with coronary artery disease and 133 healthy subjects. The genotypes A2A2 and QQ produced the lowest levels of factor VII with 66% and 72% respectively in diseased subjects. The risk of myocardial infarction among the patients with the A1A2 and RQ genotypes was found to be 47%.
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Article Abstract:
Some AIDS drugs may increase the patient's risk of a heart attack when taken together, especially for long periods of time. This was the conclusion of a study of 23,468 HIV patients, 125 of whom had a heart attack. AIDS drugs increased the risk of a heart attack by 26% per year of treatment. However, the risk of a heart attack was still small and might be outweighed by the benefits of the drugs.
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