People with a genetic variant, 9p21, predisposing them to heart disease lowered their risk with a healthful diet. Katherine Harmon reports. Even with a healthy lifestyle, genes are the deciding factor in whether someone gets a chronic illness, such as heart disease. Right? Well, maybe not. A new study suggests that we might be able to exercise some control over our genetic destiny—just by lifting a fork. People with the genetic variant 9p21 have an increased risk for heart disease—one of the most common killers worldwide. Researchers collected genetic and dietary information from more than 8,000 people of various ethnicities, as well as data from 20,000 Finish subjects. People who had the genetic variant, but who ate a diet rich in fruits, raw vegetables and nuts, ended up on average with a heart attack risk close to people who don't have this genetic propensity. While those with the trait who did not follow such a prudent diet had as much as twice the chance of having a heart attack. [Ron Do et al., "The Effect of Chromosome 9p21 Variants on Cardiovascular Disease May Be Modified by Dietary Intake: Evidence from a Case/Control and a Prospective Study," in Public Library of Science Medicine, link to come] So a healthful diet might actually be changing the expression of the gene, in effect turning it off. Which suggests that there might be more diet-gene interactions than you can shake a carrot stick at. —Katherine Harmon

通过健康饮食，染色体9p21基因变异、易患心脏病的人降低了自身的风险。凯瑟琳·哈曼报道。

即便有着健康的生活方式，基因也是决定人们是否羸患类似心脏病等慢性疾病的因素。对不对？唔，也许不是这样。一项新的研究显示，我们或许可以对自己的基因宿命加以控制——仅举起餐叉即可。
染色体9p21基因变异者有着激增的羸患心脏病的风险，心脏病是全球最常见杀手之一。研究者从来自各种族的8000多人身上收集了遗传与饮食信息，还从20000例完成的课题中获得了数据。有着这种基因变异、饮食结构却富含水果、新鲜蔬菜及坚果的人，其患心脏病的平均死亡率与不具备这种遗传倾向性的人接近。而具备这种遗传特征却不遵循如此明智饮食方案的人则有着两倍的羸患心脏病的机率。［罗昂·杜等在《公共科学图书馆·医学》期刊上发表《染色体9p21变异体对心血管病的影响或可由饮食摄入量改变：取自病例对照研究及前瞻性调查的论据》，点击链接访问］

所以，健康的饮食或可改变基因表达，使之有效地转向正轨。这意味着饮食与基因两者之间的相互作用可能会多得枚不胜举。

——凯瑟琳·哈曼