Genetic risk factors for arterial thrombosis and inflammation.

Arterial thrombosis is a central pathologic mechanism contributing to myocardial infarction and stroke, together the leading causes of death in developed countries. This article reviews the current state of knowledge concerning the role of inherited variation in hemostatic and inflammatory factor genes in determining the risk of arterial thrombosis/ischemic heart disease. Despite considerable progress in identifying important genetic risk factors underlying predisposition to venous thrombosis, the genetic factors contributing to the risk for arterial thrombosis remain largely unknown. However, the rapid development of powerful new genomic resources should facilitate considerably more sophisticated analyses, leading to novel insight into the molecular pathophysiology of this important set of human diseases.