In a new study, Daniel O'Connor and colleagues from UCSD School of Medicine, San Diego, show that in humans a common variant of the GCH1 gene predicts NO excretion in the urine, which they used as a correlate for NO production in the body. The same GCH1 genetic variant was associated with increased blood pressure, a risk factor for developing heart disease. This study led the authors to suggest that "the NO pathway is centrally involved in the early pathogenesis of cardiac diseases" and that "treatments targeting the pathway might be beneficial in preventing later cardiac diseases if administered to subjects at specific genetic risk."-Journal of Clinical Investigation
