Genetics and gene manipulation therapy of premature coronary artery disease.
Despite the notable recent scientific advances, our ability to detect and prevent premature coronary artery disease (CAD) remains limited, and the identification of patients at risk is yet to be based on objective scientific testing. Eliciting a family history of CAD currently remains the only available screening tool to identify patients with a genetic predisposition. The risk of CAD attributable to genes appears to be most significant at younger ages, and this may explain the lack of definite markers for the disease. Candidate gene association studies focusing on young patients with CAD will, therefore, be more likely to identify a true genetic risk. In this report, we review the known genetic risk factors for premature CAD. We also discuss the potential gene manipulation therapy of CAD as well as of vein graft atherosclerosis following coronary artery bypass surgery.
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, The University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
Rabih A
RA
Chaer
Rana
R
Billeh
Malek G
MG
Massad
D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000628:therapy*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006083:Graft Occlusion, Vascular / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D012008:Recurrence; D012306:Risk; D014680:Veins / Q000637:transplantation