The impact of epigenetics on cardiovascular disease

• Published in: Biochemistry and cell biology Vol. 98; no. 1; pp. 12 - 22
• Main Authors: Prasher, Dimple, Greenway, Steven C, Singh, Raja B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Canada NRC Research Press 2020; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: Adaptability; Arteriosclerosis; Atherosclerosis; Biological markers; Biomarkers; Canada; Cardiomyopathy; Cardiovascular diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases - genetics; Cell differentiation; Congenital heart defects; Coronary artery disease; Deoxyribonucleic acid; Differentiation (biology); Disease; Disease susceptibility; Diseases; DNA; DNA binding proteins; DNA methylation; Environmental factors; Epigenesis, Genetic - genetics; Epigenetic inheritance; Epigenetics; Epigenomics; Fibrosis; Gene expression; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genetic disorders; Genetics; Health; Health aspects; Heart diseases; Heart failure; Histones; Humans; Hypertension; Methylation; Morbidity; Myocardial diseases; Non-coding RNA; Novels; Nucleotide sequence; Precision medicine; Risk analysis; Risk factors; RNA; Canada; maladie cardiovasculaire; épigénomique; cardiovascular disease; DNA methylation; epigenomics; méthylation d’ADN; precision medicine; médecine de précision; epigenetics; épigénétique
• ISSN: 0829-8211; 1208-6002
• DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2019-0045

Mortality and morbidity from cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) represents a huge burden to society. It is recognized that environmental factors and individual lifestyles play important roles in disease susceptibility, but the link between these external risk factors and our genetics has been unclear. However, the discovery of sequence-independent heritable DNA changes (epigenetics) have helped us to explain the link between genes and the environment. Multiple diverse epigenetic processes, including DNA methylation, histone modification, and the expression of non-coding RNA molecules affect the expression of genes that produce important changes in cellular differentiation and function, influencing the health and adaptability of the organism. CVDs such as congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart failure, cardiac fibrosis, hypertension, and atherosclerosis are now being viewed as much more complex and dynamic disorders. The role of epigenetics in these and other CVDs is currently under intense scrutiny, and we can expect important insights to emerge, including novel biomarkers and new approaches to enable precision medicine. This review summarizes the recent advances in our understanding of the role of epigenetics in CVD.