Genomics-based tools and technology

Over 16 million people die from cardiovascular disease each year, ranking it as the number one killer of men and women in the United States (1-7). Further, heart disease and stroke kill twice as many women than all forms of cancer combined (8). This chapter introduces genomics tools and technologies that have been instrumental in defining the genetic-based causes of cardiovascular disease, determining the critical genes and signaling pathways governing the transition of the normal heart to failure, and discovering novel drug and device-based therapies to treat cardiovascular disease. The genomics approaches discussed are currently considered high throughput, but as technology continues to develop and drive this field, it is anticipated that another level of high throughput will be reached that will far surpass current capabilities. Some state-of-the-art technologies and strategies that are on the horizon are also described.