Cardiovascular disease remains an important clinical problem with huge socio-economic burden to healthcare systems [1, 2] . In spite of the advances in early management and longer-term therapy, cardiovascular-related diseases still carry an undesirably high rate of morbidity and mortality. The global economic burden of cardiovascular disease was estimated to reach US$863 billion in 2010 and is projected to exceed US$1 trillion by 2030 [3] . Thus, cardiovascular disorders still pose a huge

more »

... economic burden. A significant component of the healthcare burden of chronic cardiovascular disorders arises from an insufficient knowledge of their origins, the persistent dependence on costly and ineffective treatments, and an almost complete lack of preventative interventions for high-risk or predisposed individuals. As a result, more research is needed into the etiological factors and underlying the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disorders.