Genome-wide association studies in cardiac electrophysiology: recent discoveries and implications for clinical practice.

Genome-wide association studies have been increasingly used to study the genetics of complex human diseases. Within the field of cardiac electrophysiology, this technique has been applied to conditions such as atrial fibrillation, and several electrocardiographic parameters including the QT interval. While these studies have identified multiple genomic regions associated with each trait, questions remain, including the best way to explore the pathophysiology of each association and the potential for clinical utility. This review will summarize recent genome-wide association study results within cardiac electrophysiology and discuss their broader implications in basic science and clinical medicine. Copyright 2010 Heart Rhythm Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.