How to find the right gene? From candidate-genes to genome analysis and… back

The majority of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are complex syndromes with both genetic and environmental determinants. Efforts to identify CVD-predisposition loci based on a candidate-gene approach, and more recently on genome-wide scanning, have yielded promising results. However, the most significant progress concerns the molecular genetics of rare monogenic diseases of the circulatory system, among them: familial cardiomyopathies, monogenic forms of hypertension or monogenic arrhythmias. This short review presents current knowledge and direction of future research on the predisposition for cardiovascular diseases.