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Updated: Jun 11, 2026
Epigenetic Regulation of Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells and Tissues
Published on: June 3, 2016
Epigenetics and cardiovascular disease
José M Ordovás1, Caren E Smith
1Nutrition and Genomics Laboratory, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02111, USA. jose.ordovas@tufts.edu
Insights
Epigenomics, the study of gene expression changes, offers new insights into cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. Understanding epigenetic mechanisms linked to CVD risk factors may lead to earlier prevention and novel therapies.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and genomics
- Molecular biology
- Cardiovascular research
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading global cause of mortality.
- Current understanding of CVD risk factors, including genetic and environmental influences, is incomplete.
- Existing knowledge explains only a small portion of CVD risk variability, hindering effective prevention and treatment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the role of epigenomics in understanding the multifactorial nature of cardiovascular disease.
- To identify how environmental factors interact with genetic predispositions in CVD development.
- To highlight the potential of 'omics' technologies in advancing CVD prevention and therapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on epigenetics and cardiovascular disease.
- Focus on epigenetic mechanisms: DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNA alterations.
- Examination of associations between CVD risk factors (nutrition, smoking, pollution, stress, circadian rhythm) and epigenetic modifications.
Main Results:
- Epigenetic mechanisms provide a crucial link between environmental exposures and CVD risk.
- Environmental factors like nutrition, smoking, and pollution can alter epigenetic marks.
- These alterations influence cellular responses and contribute to CVD development.
Conclusions:
- Epigenomics is a promising field for addressing knowledge gaps in CVD etiology.
- Understanding epigenetic modifications offers potential for earlier CVD prevention strategies.
- Targeting epigenetic mechanisms may lead to the development of novel and effective CVD therapies.
Abstract:
Despite advances in the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease (CVD), this group of multifactorial disorders remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide. CVD is associated with multiple genetic and modifiable risk factors; however, known environmental and genetic influences can only explain a small part of the variability in CVD risk, which is a major obstacle for its prevention and treatment. A more thorough understanding of the factors that contribute to CVD is, therefore, needed to develop more efficacious and cost-effective therapy. Application of the 'omics' technologies will hopefully make these advances a reality. Epigenomics has emerged as one of the most promising areas that will address some of the gaps in our current knowledge of the interaction between nature and nurture in the development of CVD. Epigenetic mechanisms include DNA methylation, histone modification, and microRNA alterations, which collectively enable the cell to respond quickly to environmental changes. A number of CVD risk factors, such as nutrition, smoking, pollution, stress, and the circadian rhythm, have been associated with modification of epigenetic marks. Further examination of these mechanisms may lead to earlier prevention and novel therapy for CVD.
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