PPAR genomics and pharmacogenomics: Implications for cardiovascular disease

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) consist of three related transcription factors that serve to regulate a number of cellular processes that are central to cardiovascular health and disease. Numerous pharmacologic studies have assessed the effects of specific PPAR agonists in clinical trials and have provided insight into the clinical effects of these genes while genetic studies have demonstrated clinical associations between PPAR polymorphisms and abnormal cardiovascular phenotypes. With the abundance of data available from these studies as a background, PPAR pharmacogenetics has become a promising and rapidly advancing field. This review focuses on summarizing the current state of understanding of PPAR genetics and pharmacogenetics and the important implications for the individualization of therapy for patients with cardiovascular diseases.