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Three Major Advances in Heart Disease Research in 2017

David Bohn

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David Bohn is a resident of Redding, CT, who has worked with Danbury's Preferred Utilities Manufacturing Corporation since 1987 and been president since 1995. Beyond his professional pursuits, David Bohn supports nonprofits in his local community of Redding, CT, as well as those with broader reaches, such as the American Heart Association (AHA).

The AHA is one of the world's top funding associations for scientific research dedicated to heart disease and strokes. Below are three major research-related accomplishments identified by the AHA in 2017.
1. Fixing a gene mutation in human embryos - An early-stage study published in Nature found that genome editing could help correct disease-causing heart mutations in human embryos. The process was facilitated by the MYBPC3 gene, which relays instructions for creating a protein stored in heart muscle cells.
2. Low income linked to poor health - Instead of proximity to a grocery store and access to healthy food, researchers concluded that people living in distressed areas in metro Atlanta are at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease because of a lack of income. This development could greatly impact the use of public health resources in low-income neighborhoods.
3. Development of cholesterol-lowering drug - Developed by Amgen, the drug Repatha was found to lower LDL cholesterol by as much as 60 percent in a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Additionally, the study showed that Repatha reduced the risk of death via cardiovascular disease by 20 percent when taken in conjunction with intensive statin therapy.