Genetics and coronary heart disease

Abstract

Genetic analysis is absolutely required to understand the architecture of complex diseases such as coronary heart disease, and such knowledge may lead to important advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. On the other hand, there is presently little theoretical and empirical evidence supporting the idea that large-scale diagnostic and prognostic genetic testing for coronary heart disease might be medically useful. The situation may change however, as recent technological and population genomics advances are progressively incorporated in new appropriately designed studies.