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Glucocorticoids are central to inflammatory processes and can affect cardiovascular risk. In a large, population-based, Dutch study, researchers assessed whether five glucocorticoid gene variants were associated with incident cardiovascular disease. At baseline, they determined the genetic (glucocorticoid) haplotype of more than 4800 adults (age, ≥55; 62% women).
During a mean follow-up of 9 years, 4.5% of the study population experienced myocardial infarctions, and 10.1% experienced coronary heart disease events. After researchers adjusted for multiple risk factors, individuals who were homozygous for haplotype 3 had a 2.2-fold higher risk for MI, a 2.8-fold higher risk for coronary heart disease, and greater carotid intima-media thickness …