Genetics/Genomics News

In patients with atherosclerosis, carotid arterial plaques may harbor bacterial biofilm deposits, which may, in turn, be triggered by norepinephrine to induce plaque rupture, according to recent study results.

Loss-of-function mutations in the APOC3 gene are associated with lower levels of triglycerides and reduced risk for CHD and ischemic CVD, according to two studies published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

NEW YORK — People with the TT homozygote at position –665 on the eNOS gene had a higher risk for CV events, coronary events, CV mortality and all-cause mortality compared with those with the C allele, according to findings presented at the American Society of Hypertension 2014 Annual Scientific Meeting.

Polymorphisms in the angiotensinogen gene may be predictive of stroke among patients with atrial fibrillation, according to recent findings.

Researchers for the first time have identified a gene that is linked to childhood-onset familial dilated cardiomyopathy.

As genetic testing and personalized medicine become increasingly important in guiding therapeutic decisions for various medical specialties, these approaches have also taken on a more prominent role in cardiology. In particular, testing for the CYP2C19*2 variant has been a topic of much scientific study and discussion.

As one of the world’s foremost experts on molecular cardiology, Robert Roberts, MD, FRCPC, MACC, FAHA, LLD (Hon.), FRSC, has interests that range far outside the laboratory. He is a voracious reader of any material that helps explains why the world is the way it is, from history to philosophy to physics, and an avid traveler to places that hold answers to those questions. His thirst for knowledge has paid off professionally, as his development of the MCBK Test has been used for the past 3 decades to diagnose MI, and he built a world-renowned cardiology program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Lipoprotein(a) is an independent predictor of CVD in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, according to new findings from the SAFEHEART study.

Lipoprotein(a) is an independent predictor of CVD in patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia, according to new findings from the SAFEHEART study.

Genetic variants associated solely with increased levels of plasma HDL cholesterol are not associated with the expected decrease in risk for MI.