The finding has immediate implications for the families with the disorder

Prof Richard Trembath, University of Leicester

Researchers at Leicester worked with US scientists at Vanderbilt University, Nashville, and The Children's Hospital in Cincinnati.

Their discovery could be used to test people at risk of developing the disease, said Professor Richard Trembath, from the University of Leicester.

He said: "The approach was to search for the location of the gene within the Human Genome and then to use the recently made available Human Genome sequence.

"The finding has immediate implications for the families with the disorder providing a tool for testing at risk family members."

He added: "In the longer term, new drug treatments might emerge through studies looking at the normal and altered function of this gene."

The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation and the Medical Research Council in the UK.

Professor Sir Charles George, medical director at the BHF, described the discovery as "very exciting".

"Now that the researchers have found the gene they can focus on how it works.

"Further research may show whether other genes also play a part and in time may provide the answers that lead to the prevention of this debilitating disease."