Cardiovascular diseases are the principal cause of mortality in many developed countries and are increasing in importance in developing countries where communicable diseases are being brought under control. It is estimated that coronary heart disease (CRD) and cerebrovascular diseases are responsible for between 40-50% of all deaths. Righ blood pressure is common in all industrialized societies and contributes importantly to CRD. It is well known that genetic factors play an important role in the etiology and pathogenes es of cardiovascular diseases and contribute to an individual's susceptibility or resistance to the disease. The application of modern genetic techniques has resulted in the identification of polymorphie markers that are involved in the normal regulation and function of the cardiovascular system. Many of these may contribute to the individual differences in the risk for CRD and hypertension. It is now known that several risk factors or protective factors with respect to cardiovascular diseases are strongly influenced by genes, and it is now possible to identify individual genes contributing to cardiovascular risk. A large bank of genetic knowledge relevant to CRD and hypertension has become available during the past years. As a result, it is now believed that CRD, for example, could be a good model for a feasibility study to determine a way by which preventive measures can be applied.

Genetics of Hypertension - An Overview.- A Population Perspective for Genetics Research and Applications to Control Cardiovascular Disease in Utah.- Cell Membrane Alteration in Primary Hypertension: - An Evidence of Its Genomic Source.- Molecular Genetics and Familial Arterial Hypertension.- Gene Mapping in Experimental Hypertension.- Transgenic Mice and the Development of Animal Models and Resources for Hypertension Research.- Tissue Distribution of Ren-2 Expression in Transgenic Rats.- Prediction of Hypertension and Stroke for Controlling Cardiovascular Diseases in Genetic Rat Models.- An Overview of the Genetics of Coronary Heart Disease and Its Risk Factors.- Genetic Risk Factors for Coronary Heart Disease in the Japanese Population.- Genetic Epidemiology of Ischemic Heart Disease and Arterial Hypertension.- The Role of Lp(a) in Atherosclerosis.- Liver-Directed Gene Therapy in the Treatment of Familial Hypercholesterolemia.