Genetics of human coronary vasomotion

While the number of genetic polymorphisms associated with cardiovascular diseases rapidly increases, the functional implications of such gene alterations are often poorly understood. Moreover, findings from genetic association studies are often contradictory, which limits the common acceptance of a role of these genetic variants in human disease. One effective approach towards a better understanding of the pathophysiologic relevance of a gene variant is the description of its impact on dynamic or functional phenotypes such as coronary vasomotor responses to exogenous or endogenous stimuli. This brief review focuses on the impact of variants in genes of the renin-angiotensin system, the alpha2-adrenoceptor gene, and the G protein beta3 subunit gene on coronary vasomotor responses.