LONDON: A British team has found a new genetic link with high cholesterol and said the finding could lead to better screening and new drugs for the condition, which raises the risk of heart disease.

The researchers showed that people with the common DNA sequence were likely to have higher levels of the so-called bad cholesterol responsible for increased risk of heart disease, Patricia Munroe, who led the study, said on Thursday.

"People knew this genetic marker was associated with a higher risk of heart disease, and the new findings show why - it is associated with high cholesterol," said Munroe, a geneticist at the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Heart disease is the world's leading cause of death. It is caused by fatty deposits that harden and block arteries, high blood pressure which damages blood vessels, and other factors. "What our paper is showing is another gene related to bad cholesterol, and in this case it is directly related to coronary heart disease," said Munroe.

The researchers located the gene on chromosome 1 and concluded one of two possible genes is the culprit.