[The genetic contribution to coronary disease. The genetic factors related to lipid metabolism].

The increasing development of molecular genetics, the progress of the Human Genome Project, and the widespread application of its new methods and molecular techniques provide a new perception of coronary heart disease and a better recognition of genetic markers (mutations and polymorphism) related to new or traditional cardiovascular risk factors. An example of this has been the major effort made over the last years to evaluate and establish the genetic molecular mechanisms that are the basis of the synthesis of apolipoproteins, lipoprotein processing enzymes and lipoprotein receptors. These are some of the subjects discussed in this review [apoB, apoE, atherogenic lipid profile and CETP, and Lp(a)], in which the role of polymorphic alleles and isoforms in cardiovascular risk and coronary heart disease is stressed.