ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION A significant component of the attributable risk of coronary heart disease is due to genetic predisposition unrelated to known risk factors [1]. Despite tremendous success in the past several decades in identifying (and modifying) risk factors associated with coronary heart disease, little progress has been made in identifying the specific genetic susceptibility factors associated with the disease. However, with recent advances in high-throughput genotyping, molecular genetics, and sequencing of the first draft of the human genome, our understanding of the genetic basis of coronary disease will advance significantly in the coming decade.