Genetic mutation made humans susceptible to heart attacks – study

Gene that helped prevent clogged arteries was lost 2 to 3 million years ago

The loss of a single gene 2 to 3 million years ago in our ancestry may help explain why humans are the only animals in which heart attacks are common.

Atherosclerosis - the clogging of arteries with fatty deposits - can lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD) events like heart attacks and strokes, which cause about a third of all deaths worldwide.