Why do only some people with hereditary heart disease experience symptoms?

In addition to gene mutations, environmental stress plays a key role in the development of the heart disease hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, researchers have found for the first time. As many as 500,000 people in the United States have a heritable and potentially fatal heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The disease can cause irregular heartbeats, heart valve problems, heart failure and, in rare cases, sudden cardiac death in young people. But some people who carry gene mutations that cause hypertrophic cardiomyopathy never experience symptoms.

Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - January 5, 2015 Category: Science Source Type: news