Cardiovascular disease gets personal

"As personalized cancer treatment edges into the clinic, doctors and scientists are hoping that cardiovascular disease - the world's top killer - will be next to benefit from genomics. An avalanche of studies has linked genetic variants to various cardiovascular conditions and to patients' responses to commonly prescribed drugs. First up could be genetic guidance for the anti-clotting agents warfarin and clopidogrel, followed by testing for genetic variants responsible for conditions such as atrial fibrillation, a heart-rhythm abnormality that is a leading cause of stroke" - Nature