A rare gene variant that typically appears in Amish communities may hold the key to preventing heart disease, according to researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
The study found that those that have this particular gene, known as B4GALT1, appear to have lower levels of heart-damaging cholesterol, as well as a blood-clotting protein called fibrinogen.
Less than one in 10,000 people have this gene, yet amazingly 12 percent of the Pennsylvania Amish community in Lancaster County carry the gene variant.
Past studies on the gene revealed that certain mutations can change one's cholesterol levels, too much of which can cause clogged arteries and cardiovascular diseases, which remains the leading cause of death worldwide.
Researchers involved in the study claim this is the first time scientists have isolated a gene that lowers two different yet equally important heart disease risk factors.
Amazingly, 12 percent of the Pennsylvania Amish community in Lancaster County, pictured, carry the gene variant
Those that have this particular gene, known as B4GALT1, pictured, appear to have lower levels of heart-damaging cholesterol, as well as a blood-clotting protein called fibrinogen
Pictured: An Amish farmer rakes cut hay with a two-horse team in rural Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
'Leveraging data from more than 500,000 from the general population, it was found that those who carried this variant had a 35 percent lower risk of heart disease compared to those who did not,' says study
