Cholesterol 'hotspot' discovered

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Scientists hope the discovery will lead to new treatments and ways of spotting people most at risk of heart disease.

The "gene locus" is a region on chromosome 1, one of the coiled bundles of DNA and protein that house the genes and are found in every cell.

Researchers found three genetic variations in the same region all linked to blood levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also known as "bad" cholesterol. High levels of LDL are a major risk factor for heart and artery disease.

The analysis used genetic data from more than 11,000 people from across Europe.

Study leader Dr Manjinder Sandhu, from the Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit at Cambridge University, said: "While therapies exist to lower cholesterol levels in people whose levels are too high, much is still unknown about the mechanisms that underlie cholesterol regulation and why some people seem to produce more than others."

"Although what you eat is definitely a factor in your cholesterol levels and some bad cholesterol is dietary in origin, the majority of LDL-cholesterol is produced by the body.

"Performing a genome-wide study, looking for areas which are associated with cholesterol levels helps us to find out why some people produce more than others.

"We might be able to use this information to identify which people are particularly at risk of developing cholesterol problems.

"We can also look at the function of the genes involved and find out in what way someone may be having problems regulating bad cholesterol levels. This could help us to design more specific and appropriate treatments."