Around 1000 islanders living on Orkney are being recruited to take part in a study examining the role that genes play in conditions including heart disease, diabetes and strokes after extra funding was given to researchers.

Scientists at Edinburgh University have been granted £450,000 to continue research into the way genes affect people's risk of developing certain conditions.

The Orkney Cardiovascular Disease Study has been running for five years and 1300 volunteers have already taken part in the research, which it is hoped will help pave the way for new treatments for life-threatening diseases.

Researchers say the new funding will allow a further 1000 to be recruited.

Participants have a number of measurements taken, such as weight, blood pressure and heart rhythm, and also have their blood sugar and cholesterol levels checked. Ultrasound scans will determine whether participants' arteries have hardened.

Researchers have so far found 51 genes that were not previously associated with disease.

One of the major breakthroughs has been the discovery of a gene that can cause gout.

Dr Jim Wilson, from Edinburgh University's Public Health Sciences department, said: "Orkney is a fantastic place to conduct research because people are so good at volunteering to take part in the study.

"This extra money will allow us to search for rarer gene variants, which could be very important for reducing the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes not just in Orkney but across the UK."

The study is funded by the Chief Scientist Office with support from the Royal Society and the Medical Research Council.