Lay summary
This research focuses on a unique community-led cohort with high rates of early-onset heart disease driven by genetic factors that current medical tests cannot see. Historically, this population survived extreme famine, which may have selected for genes that helped store energy but are now harmful in a modern environment. While we grow our study group to better understand complex risk, we will immediately focus on specific heart health markers to find large-effect genetic variants. By using advanced DNA sequencing to study this "famine-to-feast" history, we aim to find the biological causes of heart attacks that current models miss. This work will create better screening tools and targeted treatments, ensuring that a person’s ancestry no longer leads to preventable heart disease.