Cardiovascular disease represents the major cause of death in Western populations. Despite the implementation of novel therapeutic strategies in clinical routine, cardiovascular morbidity and mortality remains high, referred to as ‘residual cardiovascular risk’. This is at least partially driven by the presence of genetic mutations, which occur during ageing, in cells of the hematopoietic system. The presence of these mutations has been documented to promote the development of cardiovascular disease in preclinical experimental models and in large-scale clinical studies. In this project, we aim to understand how environmental factors, such as rural or urban residency and air pollution, modulate the frequency of these genetic mutations. Furthermore, we will assess how other risk factors for cardiovascular diseases such as smoking, hypercholesterolemia, or impaired kidney function, associate with these genetic mutations. It is the overall goal of this project, to identify ‘high-risk patients’ for cardiovascular disease in whom specific therapeutic strategies can be applied to reduce their increased cardiovascular risk. This may include specific medications, but also preventive strategies such as life-style modifications. The planed analyses should ultimately contribute to improve our understanding on factors promoting the development and progression of cardiovascular disease and, thereby, to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality as a major public health problem.
