Gene responsible for heart muscle disease identified by Saudi medical team

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Wednesday 10 Feb 2016 - 14:24 Makkah mean time-1-5-1437 Image from Arab News Riyadh, (IINA) - A team of specialists from King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSHRC) has identified a gene responsible for cardiomyopathy, Arab News reported. Dr. Zuhair bin Nasser Al-Hasnan, KFSHRC medical genetics consultant, said the team conducted a study on a Saudi family with nine children, four of whom were suffering from cardiomyopathy. In cardiomyopathy, the heart muscle becomes enlarged, thick or rigid. In rare cases, the muscle tissue in the heart is replaced with scar tissue. As cardiomyopathy worsens, the heart becomes weaker. Dr. Al-Hasnan said the research team used sophisticated laboratory techniques and took blood samples from all family members for the study, which revealed a defect in a gene among the children with the disease. He said the emergence of the disease was due to marriage between relatives, where the father and mother are the carriers of the ailment. “The likelihood of transmission of the disease from parent to child is 25 percent during pregnancy,” said Dr. Al-Hasnan, who the research team head. He said, “the symptoms of cardiomyopathy disease are shortness of breath and fatigue, even if you there is no physical exertion.” “This needs constant follow-up with a cardiology clinic and necessary medication. If the disease reaches an advanced stage, a heart transplantation is required,” he said. Families infected with the disease can avoid transmitting it to their offspring by undergoing a technique provided by a specialty hospital, he said. “A specialty hospital possesses a wealth of experience in this kind of diseases,” he said, adding that individuals with the disease could benefit from genetic counseling service during the early screening period before marriages to ensure that two parties don’t have the disease.” A hospital official confirmed that the KFSHRC focuses on research in genetic diseases among citizens or individuals in Saudi society. SM/IINA