Marilyn pays visit to page A1 of BJ

Former Beacon Journal reporter, now the medical writer for the Associated Press, was on the front page of the BJ again today with a fabulous story that a rare, inherited gene may have caused the Hatfield-McCoy fued.

Marilyn was used to making page 1 of the BJ. Today’s story probably landed her on front pages across the country. AP graphics to illustrate the story were used with the jump.

Here are the first few graphs. Click on the headline above to read the full story.

Gene might lead McCoys to feuding
Appalachian family's rare, inherited disease can trigger outbursts

By Marilynn Marchione
Associated Press
The most infamous feud in American folklore, the long-running battle between the Hatfields and McCoys, might be partly explained by a rare, inherited disease that can lead to hair-trigger rage and violent outbursts.

Dozens of McCoy descendants apparently have the disease, which causes high blood pressure, racing hearts, severe headaches and too much adrenaline and other ``fight or flight'' stress hormones.

No one blames the whole feud on this, but doctors say it could help explain some of the clan's notorious behavior.

``This condition can certainly make anybody short-tempered, and if they are prone because of their personality, it can add fuel to the fire,'' said Dr. Revi Mathew, a Vanderbilt University endocrinologist treating one of the family members.