Potential Role of microRNAs in Cardiovascular Disease: Are They up to Their Hype?

ABSTRACT: PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Cardiovascular diseases remain the foremost cause of mortality globally. As molecular medicine unravels the alterations in genomic expression and regulation of the underlying atherosclerotic process, it opens new vistas for discovering novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutics for limiting the disease process. miRNAs have emerged as powerful regulators of protein translation by regulating gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. RECENT FINDINGS: Overexpression and under-expression of specific miRNAs are being evaluated as a novel approach to diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. This review sheds light on the current knowledge of the miRNA evaluated in cardiovascular disease. CONCLUSION: In this review we summarize the data, including the more recent data, regarding miRNAs in cardiovascular disease and their potential role in future in diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.