Susceptibility to ischaemic heart disease. Focusing on genetic variants for ATP-sensitive potassium channel beyond traditional risk factors
Aims: Ischaemic heart disease is classically associated with coronary artery disease. Recent evidences showed the correlation between coronary microvascular dysfunction and ischaemic heart disease, even independently of coronary artery disease. Ion channels represent the final effectors of blood flow regulation mechanisms and their genetic variants, in particular of Kir6.2 subunit of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP), are reported to be involved in ischaemic heart disease susceptibility.