Men can inherit a form of heart disease from father via Y chromosome

Men can inherit heart disease from their father say scientists who have tracked the condition to the Y chromosome that dads pass to sons. By studying the DNA of over 3,000 men they found a particular version of the sex chromosome increases the risk of coronary artery disease by 50%. As many as one in five British men carry this version of Y. And the risk it confers is in addition to other heart risk factors like cholesterol, The Lancet reports. Experts already know that men develop heart disease a decade earlier than women, on average. By the age of 40, the lifetime risk of heart disease is one in two for men and one in three for women. Lifestyle factors like smoking and blood pressure are important contributors. This latest work suggests the male Y chromosome can also play a role in coronary artery disease - a common form of heart disease that kills thousands each year in the UK