Genetics in heart failure: where are we headed?
Heart failure is a complex disease with many precipitating factors. Novel insights into the genetic background of heart failure have boosted new areas of research that gave rise to the concept of genetic predisposition for heart failure. Various genetic defects and variances have been identified and subsequently linked to the onset of or progression to heart failure. Nevertheless, our understanding of the genetic basis for heart failure is incomplete because we lack knowledge of the functionality of genetic variances. We also do not understand the impact of genetic variances in noncoding DNA because of logistic problems in performing whole-genome scans and difficulties in statistical evaluation of large amounts of data generated by the genetic boom. It is expected that in the future we will be able to overcome these problems and apply the knowledge gained by genetic analyses to target and optimize treatment.
de Boer
Rudolf A
RA
Department of Cardiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. r.a.de.boer@thorax.umcg.nl
van den Berg
Maarten P
MP
van Veldhuisen
Dirk J
DJ
D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D010597:Pharmacogenetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D018570:Risk Assessment