The ‘Behind the Headlines’ service from NHS Choices has featured a quality assessment of media reports that “Men can inherit heart disease from their father” (reported by BBC news and others). The report is based on a study published in the Lancet which examined variation in the Y chromosome (which only men carry) and the risk of CAD. The study included 3,233 unrelated British men who were enrolled in one of three ongoing studies. The researchers grouped the men based on common variations and then looked at associations between genetic type and risk of coronary artery disease. They found that in men with one particular variation, the odds of developing heart disease were 56% higher than in men from the other main genetic groups identified. This increase was independent of known risk factors for heart disease, including lifestyle and economic factors.

The results of the study suggest that the genetics of the Y chromosome may contribute to a man’s heart disease risk. The NHS Choices assessment notes that this does not, however, diminish the role of lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, many of which can be modified. The lifestyle changes required to reduce heart disease risk, such as not smoking, are well known and apply to everyone regardless of their genetic make-up. The Assessment notes that this research was covered appropriately by the media.