in individuals with CVD disease have been found in some, but not in all studies. Plasma lipids and cardiovascular disease The major effect of the apolipoprotein A5 gene (and its variants) is on plasma triglyceride levels. Minor alleles (C1131 and Trp19) are primarily associated with the elevation of plasma triglyceride levels. The most extensive information available has been drawn from Caucasian populations, particularly in relation to the rs662799 SNP. Here, one minor allele is associated with an approximate 0,25 mmol/L increase of plasma TG levels. A similar effect is associated with the Trp19 allele, even though it has not been confirmed by a huge number of studies. Original studies have further described that the strongest effect of APOA5 polymorphisms on plasma TG levels is observed among Hispanics, with only minor effects detected among Africans. Among Asians, the effect on plasma TG levels is similar that found among Caucasians. Generally, studies have suggested significant interethnic differences and in some cases sex-dependent associations as well. Sporadic publications have also mentioned a weak but nonetheless significant effect of APOA5 variants on plasma HDL-cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol levels. Myocardial infarction A large meta-analysis of 101 studies confirmed a risk associated with the presence of the minor APOA5 allele -1131C and coronary heart disease. The odds ratio was 1.18 for every C allele. There are far fewer studies on the second common APOA5 polymorphism, Ser19>Trp, even though available studies have detected that its effect on plasma triglycerides is similar to C-1131>T. Nevertheless, the minor Trp allele is also associated with increased risk of CVD, and it seems that especially homozygotes and carriers of more minor alleles (both -1131C and 19Trp) are at higher risk of CVD. Clinical marker A multi-locus genetic risk score study based on a combination of 27 loci, including the APOA5 gene, identified individuals at increased risk for both incident and recurrent coronary artery disease events, as well as an enhanced clinical benefit from statin therapy. The study was based on a community cohort study (the Malmo Diet and Cancer study) and four additional randomized controlled trials of primary prevention cohorts (JUPITER and ASCOT) and secondary prevention cohorts (CARE and PROVE IT-TIMI 22). BMI, metabolic syndrome Obesity and metabolic syndrome are both closely related to plasma triglyceride levels. Therefore, the focus on an association between APOA5 and BMI or metabolic syndrome is understandable. Available studies show that minor APOA5 alleles could be