The Nation - News from July 30, 1987

Specially bred mice that develop heart disease have led to the discovery of two genes that could help identify people most likely to suffer from atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, a researcher said. The discovery of the genes provides further evidence that elevated blood levels of HDL cholesterol, the so-called “good cholesterol,” will protect against the development of atherosclerosis, said Beverly Paigen of Oakland Children’s Hospital in Oakland, Calif., to a gathering of geneticists at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Me.