Evolutionary Genetics of Coronary Heart Disease

Evolutionary Genetics of Coronary Heart Disease

By Keyue Ding, and Iftikhar J. Kullo

Circulation 2009, 119:459-467 (open access)

Susceptibility to common diseases such as coronary heart disease (CHD) may in part reflect historical or evolutionary legacies,^3,4 and interest in studying evolutionary biology to gain novel insights into human health and disease is increasing. The evolutionary history of the human species may provide valuable insights into the origin of common diseases beyond what is possible by investigating only the most immediate or “proximal” causes of disease. The potential role of evolutionary biology in explaining disease causation was highlighted by Williams and Nesse³ and is often referred to as Darwinian medicine. Although the relevance of an evolutionary perspective may vary depending on the disease under study, a strong argument could be made for studying the evolutionary genetics of CHD, a leading cause of human morbidity and death.