The heart’s ‘memory’: explain how a parent’s heart injury can affect his or her offspring

It is known that a family history of myocardial infarction influences the risk of cardiovascular disease. This risk is higher when heart damage in parents occurs at a younger age. However, it is still unknown whether the heart damage itself can be a factor influencing the cardiovascular system of the next generation. About 30,000 children require heart surgery each year in Europe. Therefore, investigating the possibility of transmitting the “mem…