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Published on: April 13, 2015

Is coronary artery disease a multifactorial inherited disorder with a sex-influenced trait?

Changsheng Yang1, Xiaoping Wang, Hongliu Ding

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Medical Hypotheses
|May 13, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Coronary artery disease (CAD) likely has a multifactorial genetic basis. This study proposes CAD is sex-influenced, with dominant inheritance in men and recessive in women, explaining gender disparities.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Genetics
  • Human Genetics
  • Disease Etiology

Background:

  • Genetic linkage of coronary artery disease (CAD) is established, but transmission patterns remain unclear.
  • Familial hypercholesterolemia and MEF2A mutations suggest Mendelian autosomal dominant inheritance, while non-familial CAD is proposed as multifactorial.
  • The significant gender difference in CAD prevalence is not adequately explained by current genetic models.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To hypothesize and investigate the genetic transmission of coronary artery disease (CAD) as a multifactorial inherited disorder with a sex-influenced trait.
  • To propose a novel genetic model where CAD exhibits autosomal dominant inheritance in males and autosomal recessive inheritance in females.
  • To explore how this sex-influenced genetic model can explain observed gender disparities in CAD prevalence and inform therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Reviewing existing literature on CAD genetic linkage, familial inheritance patterns, and gene associations.
  • Analyzing epidemiological data regarding age-dependent prevalence and gender differences in CAD.
  • Considering the potential influence of autosomal and X-chromosome gene interactions on CAD development.

Main Results:

  • The hypothesis is supported by higher age-dependent prevalence in men and the autosomal locations of known CAD-associated genes.
  • Observed gender differences in familial CAD and potential gene-gene interactions involving X-chromosome genes lend further support.
  • The proposed sex-influenced autosomal dominant (men) and recessive (women) model provides a framework for understanding CAD's complex inheritance.

Conclusions:

  • Coronary artery disease (CAD) is proposed as a multifactorial disorder with a sex-influenced genetic trait.
  • The distinct inheritance patterns (autosomal dominant in men, autosomal recessive in women) offer a new perspective on CAD etiology.
  • Further genetic research is crucial for understanding CAD's origins and clarifying the role of hormone therapy in its prevention and treatment.

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