For the first time, scientists have discovered how a gene mutation can cause heart disease in adults despite normal cholesterol levels and no other risk factors.

Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) have identified a mutation in the ACTA2 gene that can cause calcium to clog artery walls, which can cause coronary artery disease (CAD) to develop in adults as young as 30 years of age.

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“The gene ACTA2 codes a specific protein that has nothing to do with cholesterol,” said Dr Dianna Milewicz, senior author of the study and professor and director of the Division of Medical Genetics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. “It was a surprise to find that people with the gene mutation had too much atherosclerosis at a young age and with no risk factors.”

Read more: New Atlas