University of Virginia School of Medicine researchers have identified a gene on the Y chromosome that contributes to the higher incidence of heart failure in men. Y chromosome loss, seen in about 40% of 70-year-old men, leads to heart muscle scarring and deadly heart failure. The loss triggers changes in heart immune cells that promote scarring, but this can be reversed with a drug that targets fibrosis. The Uty gene on the Y chromosome controls immune cells and plays a crucial role in heart scarring. Understanding these mechanisms could lead to potential treatments for heart failure and other fibrotic diseases in men.
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New gene discovery leads advance against a form of heart failure prevalent in men
