Myocardial Infarction in Monozygotic Twins: Mystery or Genetics?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Study design: Case Report
Abstract: Ischemic heart disease (IHD) remains the leading cause of mortality worldwide and represents a multifactorial disorder influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Studies involving monozygotic twins are of particular value for assessing the role of heredity in IHD development. The article presents a clinical case of acute myocardial infarction (MI) in monozygotic twin brothers with nearly simultaneous manifestation of the disease (within a 3-month interval), similar coronary artery anatomy, type of atherosclerotic lesions, and clinical course. Both patients were diagnosed with three-vessel coronary disease, right coronary artery occlusion, type IIb dyslipidemia according to the Fredrickson classification, overweight, and long-term smoking history. The possible contribution of hereditary factors, particularly lifetime cholesterol burden, to IHD pathogenesis is discussed. This observation supports the significant role of genetic predisposition in the development and progression of coronary atherosclerosis and highlights the importance of early screening and preventive treatment for twins with a family history of IHD, even in the absence of clinical symptoms.
Source: Medicine of Ukraine
Institution: V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
Language: English
Subfield: Surgery
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7140100207