About five years ago, researchers discovered a mutation in PCSK9 that seemed to positively affect heart health, says Bloomberg's Robert Langreth. Normally, the gene encodes a protein that enables the body to accumulate LDL cholesterol. But the mutation — which occurs in an estimated 3 percent of the population — allows the body to get rid of more cholesterol, dropping a carrier's risk of heart attack by as much as 88 percent, Langreth says.