Meza-Alvarado JCPage RAMallard BBromhead CPalmer BR2023-06-1520232023-04-272023-06-152023Front Cardiovasc Med, 2023, 10 pp. 1190513 - ?2297-055Xhttps://hdl.handle.net/10179/18297© 2023 Meza-Alvarado, Page, Mallard, Bromhead and PalmerCardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Currently, cardiovascular disease risk algorithms play a role in primary prevention. However, this is complicated by a lack of powerfully predictive biomarkers that could be observed in individuals before the onset of overt symptoms. A key potential biomarker for heart disease is the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A), a molecule that plays a pivotal role in blood vessel formation. This molecule has a complex biological role in the cardiovascular system due to the processes it influences, and its production is impacted by various CVD risk factors. Research in different populations has shown single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may affect circulating VEGF-A plasma levels, with some variants associated with the development of CVDs, as well as CVD risk factors. This minireview aims to give an overview of the VEGF family, and of the SNPs reported to influence VEGF-A levels, cardiovascular disease, and other risk factors used in CVD risk assessments.1190513 - ?VEGF-A eQTLscardiovascular diseasegenetic associationsingle nucleotide polymorphismvascular endothelial growth factorJournal article10.3389/fcvm.2023.1190513462074Massey_Dark