Researchers at Duke Medicine have discovered a gene suggesting that those who are more prone to anxiety and stress are more likely to gain weight, which can lead to heart disease and diabetes.

It’s estimated that about 13 percent of Caucasians may be carrying this gene susceptibility. Knowing that they carry this gene can help them lower their chances of developing heart disease by making specific lifestyle changes, like eating healthy, exercising regularly, and managing stress.

The study involved analyzing data from almost 6,000 people taking part in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), which started in 2000. The study began as a means of better understanding how cardiovascular disease starts.

The researchers identified a significant correlation between people who reported high levels of stress factors and increased obesity. Then genetic variations across the genome were tested to identify which ones appeared to have the largest influence on hip circumference.

Variations known as single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EBF1 gene displayed a significant relationship with hip girth, depending on stress levels.

Senior study author Elizabeth Hauser, Ph.D. director of Computational Biology at the Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, and colleagues discovered a significant pathway from high stress levels to larger hip girth, to high blood glucose and diabetes, to increased heart disease. These conditions were only found in individuals who carried the EBF1 single-nucleotide polymorphism, and further limited to those who were Caucasian.

“We need to figure out how these genetic factors influence the increased accumulation of fat in the central body and increased blood glucose levels in persons exposed to high life stress and why there are also differences with ethnicity. This knowledge could help identify targets for behavioral and drug interventions that could reduce disease risk,” said Hauser in a statement.

The findings of the study are publish don line in the European Journal of Human Genetics.