1 6631 146 UNDERSTANDING THE MANIFESTATION OF DIABETES IN SUB SAHARAN AFRICA TO INFORM THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES AND PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES: A NARRATIVE REVIEW. BACKGROUND: GLOBALLY, THE BURDEN OF DIABETES MELLITUS HAS INCREASED TO EPIDEMIC PROPORTIONS. ESTIMATES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL DIABETES FEDERATION PREDICT THAT THE GREATEST FUTURE INCREASE IN THE PREVALENCE OF DIABETES MELLITUS WILL OCCUR IN AFRICA. METHODS: THIS ARTICLE REVIEWS LITERATURE ON THE MANIFESTATION OF DIABETES IN ADULT PATIENTS IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA HIGHLIGHTING THE DISTINCT PHENOTYPES, PLAUSIBLE EXPLANATIONS FOR THIS UNIQUE MANIFESTATION AND THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPREHENSIVELY DEFINING AND UNDERSTANDING THE AFRICAN DIABETES PHENOTYPE. RESULTS: THERE ARE FEW STUDIES ON THE MANIFESTATION OR PHENOTYPE OF DIABETES IN AFRICA. THE LIMITED DATA AVAILABLE SUGGESTS THAT, COMPARED TO THE WESTERN WORLD, THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS WITH DIABETES IN AFRICA ARE YOUNG AND RELATIVELY LEAN IN BODY SIZE. IN ADDITION, HYPERGLYCAEMIA IN MOST CASES IS CHARACTERISED BY A SIGNIFICANTLY BLUNTED ACUTE FIRST PHASE OF INSULIN SECRETION IN RESPONSE TO AN ORAL OR INTRAVENOUS GLUCOSE LOAD AND PANCREATIC BETA CELL SECRETORY DYSFUNCTION, RATHER THAN PERIPHERAL INSULIN RESISTANCE PREDOMINATES. GENETIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS LIKE CHRONIC INFECTIONS/INFLAMMATION, EARLY LIFE MALNUTRITION AND EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS ARE THOUGHT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THESE DISTINCT DIFFERENCES IN MANIFESTATION. CONCLUSIONS: WHILE PUBLISHED DATA IS LIMITED, THERE APPEARS TO BE DISTINCT PHENOTYPES OF DIABETES IN SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA. LARGE AND MORE DETAILED STUDIES ARE NEEDED ESPECIALLY AMONG NEWLY DIAGNOSED PATIENTS TO FULLY CHARACTERIZE DIABETES IN THIS REGION. THIS WILL FURTHER IMPROVE THE UNDERSTANDING OF MANIFESTATION OF DIABETES AND GUIDE THE FORMULATION OF OPTIMAL THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES AND PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES OF THE CONDITION ON THE CONTINENT. 2019 2 2570 29 EPIGENETICS OF CHRONIC INFLAMMATORY DISEASES. CHRONIC, NONCOMMUNICABLE, AND INFLAMMATION-ASSOCIATED DISEASES REMAIN THE LARGEST CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY GLOBALLY AND WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. THIS IS MAINLY DUE TO OUR LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOLECULAR MECHANISMS THAT UNDERLIE THESE COMPLEX PATHOLOGIES. THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE INDICATES THAT STUDIES OF EPIGENETICS (TRADITIONALLY DEFINED AS THE HERITABLE CHANGES TO GENE EXPRESSION THAT ARE INDEPENDENT OF CHANGES TO DNA) ARE SIGNIFICANTLY ADVANCING OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THESE INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS. THIS REVIEW WILL FOCUS ON EPIGENETIC STUDIES OF THREE DISEASES, THAT ARE AMONG THE MOST BURDENSOME GLOBALLY: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE, THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF DEATHS WORLDWIDE, TYPE 2 DIABETES AND, ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE. THE CURRENT STATUS OF EPIGENETIC RESEARCH, INCLUDING THE ABILITY TO PREDICT DISEASE RISK, AND KEY PATHOPHYSIOLOGICAL DEFECTS ARE DISCUSSED. THE SIGNIFICANCE OF DEFINING THE CONTRIBUTION OF EPIGENETIC DEFECTS TO NONRESOLVING INFLAMMATION AND AGING, EACH ASSOCIATED WITH THESE DISEASES, IS HIGHLIGHTED, AS THESE ARE LIKELY TO PROVIDE NEW INSIGHTS INTO INFLAMMATORY DISEASE PATHOGENESIS. 2019 3 2162 27 EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS IN COPD: IMPLICATIONS FOR PATHOGENESIS AND DRUG DISCOVERY. INTRODUCTION: CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) IS THE FOURTH LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH WORLDWIDE. THE GROWING BURDEN OF COPD IS DUE TO CONTINUOUS TOBACCO USE, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT RISK FACTOR OF THE DISEASE, INDOOR FUMES, OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURES AND ALSO AGING OF THE WORLD'S POPULATION. EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS SIGNIFICANTLY CONTRIBUTE TO COPD PATHOPHYSIOLOGY. AREAS COVERED: THIS REVIEW FOCUSES ON DISEASE-RELEVANT CHANGES IN DNA MODIFICATION, HISTONE MODIFICATION AND NON-CODING RNA EXPRESSION IN COPD, AND PROVIDES INSIGHT INTO NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES MODULATING EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS. RECENT FINDINGS REVEALED, AMONG OTHERS, GLOBALLY CHANGED DNA METHYLATION PATTERNS, DECREASED LEVELS OF HISTONE DEACETYLASES AND REDUCED MICRORNAS LEVELS IN COPD. THE AUTHORS ALSO DISCUSS A POTENTIAL ROLE OF THE CHROMATIN SILENCING POLYCOMB GROUP OF PROTEINS IN COPD. EXPERT OPINION: COPD IS A HIGHLY COMPLEX DISEASE AND THERAPY DEVELOPMENT IS COMPLICATED BY THE FACT THAT MANY SMOKERS DEVELOP BOTH COPD AND LUNG CANCER. OF INTEREST, COMBINATION THERAPIES INVOLVING DNA METHYLTRANSFERASE INHIBITORS AND ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUGS PROVIDE A PROMISING APPROACH, AS THEY MIGHT BE THERAPEUTIC FOR BOTH COPD AND CANCER. ALTHOUGH THE FIELD OF EPIGENETIC RESEARCH HAS VIRTUALLY EXPLODED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS, PARTICULAR EFFORTS ARE REQUIRED TO ENHANCE OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE COPD EPIGENOME IN ORDER TO SUCCESSFULLY ESTABLISH EPIGENETIC-BASED THERAPIES FOR THIS WIDESPREAD DISEASE. 2014 4 6633 45 UNHEALTHY SMOKERS: SCOPES FOR PROPHYLACTIC INTERVENTION AND CLINICAL TREATMENT. BACKGROUND: GLOBALLY, TOBACCO USE CAUSES APPROXIMATELY 6 MILLION DEATHS PER YEAR, AND PREDICTIONS REPORT THAT WITH CURRENT TRENDS; MORE THAN 8 MILLION DEATHS ARE EXPECTED ANNUALLY BY 2030. CIGARETTE SMOKINGS IS CURRENTLY ACCOUNTABLE FOR MORE THAN 480,000 DEATHS EACH YEAR IN UNITED STATES (US) AND IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF PREVENTABLE DEATH IN THE US. ON AVERAGE, SMOKERS DIE 10 YEARS EARLIER THAN NONSMOKERS AND IF SMOKING CONTINUES AT ITS CURRENT PROPORTION AMONG ADOLESCENTS, ONE IN EVERY 13 AMERICANS AGED 17 YEARS OR YOUNGER IS EXPECTED TO DIE PREMATURELY FROM A SMOKING-RELATED ILLNESS. EVEN THOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A MARGINAL SMOKING DECLINE OF AROUND 5% IN RECENT YEARS (2005 VS 2015), SMOKERS STILL ACCOUNT FOR 15% OF THE US ADULT POPULATION. WHAT IS ALSO CONCERNING IS THAT 41,000 OUT OF 480,000 DEATHS RESULTS FROM SECONDHAND SMOKE (SHS) EXPOSURE. HEREIN, WE PROVIDE A DETAILED REVIEW OF HEALTH COMPLICATIONS AND MAJOR PATHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS INCLUDING MUTATION, INFLAMMATION, OXIDATIVE STRESS, AND HEMODYNAMIC AND PLASMA PROTEIN CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC SMOKING. FURTHER, WE DISCUSS PROPHYLACTIC INTERVENTIONS AND ASSOCIATED BENEFITS AND PROVIDE A RATIONALE FOR THE SCOPE OF CLINICAL TREATMENT. CONCLUSIONS: CONSIDERING THESE PREMISES, IT IS EVIDENT THAT MUCH DETAILED TRANSLATIONAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES ARE NEEDED. FACTORS SUCH AS THE LENGTH OF SMOKING CESSATION FOR EX-SMOKERS, THE LEVEL OF SMOKE EXPOSURE IN CASE OF SHS, PRE-ESTABLISHED HEALTH CONDITIONS, GENETICS (AND EPIGENETICS MODIFICATION CAUSED BY CHRONIC SMOKING) ARE FEW OF THE CRITERIA THAT NEED TO BE EVALUATED TO BEGIN ASSESSING THE PROPHYLACTIC AND/OR THERAPEUTIC IMPACT OF TREATMENTS AIMED AT CHRONIC AND FORMER SMOKERS (ESPECIALLY EARLY STAGE EX-SMOKERS) INCLUDING THOSE FREQUENTLY SUBJECTED TO SECOND HAND TOBACCO SMOKE EXPOSURE. HEREIN, WE PROVIDE A DETAILED REVIEW OF HEALTH COMPLICATIONS AND MAJOR PATHOLOGICAL MECHANISMS INCLUDING MUTATION, INFLAMMATION, OXIDATIVE STRESS, AND HEMODYNAMIC AND PLASMA PROTEIN CHANGES ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC SMOKING. FURTHER, WE DISCUSS ABOUT PROPHYLACTIC INTERVENTIONS AND ASSOCIATED BENEFITS AND PROVIDE A RATIONALE AND SCOPE FOR CLINICAL TREATMENT. 2017 5 1240 26 CURRENT ADVANCES OF EPIGENETICS IN PERIODONTOLOGY FROM ENCODE PROJECT: A REVIEW AND FUTURE PERSPECTIVES. BACKGROUND: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF DNA ELEMENTS (ENCODE) PROJECT HAS ADVANCED OUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS IN THE GENOME AND EPIGENOME. THE AIM OF THIS ARTICLE WAS TO PROVIDE THE COMPREHENSION ABOUT CURRENT RESEARCH TRENDS FROM ENCODE PROJECT AND ESTABLISH THE LINK BETWEEN EPIGENETICS AND PERIODONTAL DISEASES BASED ON EPIGENOME STUDIES AND SEEK THE FUTURE DIRECTION. MAIN BODY: GLOBAL EPIGENOME RESEARCH PROJECTS HAVE EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF EPIGENETIC RESEARCH FOR UNDERSTANDING HUMAN HEALTH AND DISEASE, AND CURRENT INTERNATIONAL CONSORTIA SHOW AN IMPROVED INTEREST IN THE IMPORTANCE OF ORAL HEALTH WITH SYSTEMIC HEALTH. THE EPIGENETIC STUDIES IN DENTAL FIELD HAVE BEEN MAINLY CONDUCTED IN PERIODONTOLOGY AND HAVE FOCUSED ON DNA METHYLATION ANALYSIS. ADVANCES IN SEQUENCING TECHNOLOGY HAVE BROADENED THE TARGET FOR EPIGENETIC STUDIES FROM SPECIFIC GENES TO GENOME-WIDE ANALYSES. CONCLUSIONS: IN LINE WITH GLOBAL RESEARCH TRENDS, FURTHER EXTENDED AND ADVANCED EPIGENETIC STUDIES WOULD PROVIDE CRUCIAL INFORMATION FOR THE REALIZATION OF COMPREHENSIVE DENTAL MEDICINE AND EXPAND THE SCOPE OF ONGOING LARGE-SCALE RESEARCH PROJECTS. 2021 6 6860 36 [OBESITY EPIDEMIC: CURRENT EVIDENCE, CHALLENGES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS]. THE OBESITY EPIDEMIC IS A PHENOMENON THAT HAS BEEN WIDELY STUDIED IN RECENT DECADES BUT IS STILL INCOMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD, AND ITS CONTROL IS FAR FROM THE DESIRABLE LEVEL IN VIEW OF THE INCREASING PREVALENCE FIGURES OBSERVED WORLDWIDE. THIS PAPER CONDUCTS A NARRATIVE REVIEW WITH THE AIM OF PROVIDING UPDATED EVIDENCE ON THE GLOBAL OBESITY EPIDEMIC, AND PARTICULARLY ON THE SITUATION IN LATIN AMERICA AND ARGENTINA, IDENTIFYING THE MAIN CHALLENGES AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR ADDRESSING THIS PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM. IT FIRST DESCRIBES THE CURRENT BURDEN AND INCREASING TRENDS IN THE PREVALENCE OF OBESITY, IN THE OVERALL POPULATION AND BY POPULATION GROUPS, AND ITS POSSIBLE ASSOCIATION WITH GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC ASPECTS. IT ALSO SUMMARIZES THE DIRECT AND INDIRECT SOCIOECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF THIS EPIDEMIC, AS WELL AS RECENT STRATEGIES AND INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON OBESITY PREVENTION, WITH SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THOSE REPORTED AS THE MOST EFFICIENT IN THE LATIN AMERICAN CONTEXT. THIS REVIEW IDENTIFIED SOME PENDING CHALLENGES IN THE REGION, THE INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THE DOUBLE BURDEN OF MALNUTRITION AND THE GROWING CHILDHOOD OVERWEIGHT; AND IT POINTS OUT SOME EMERGING APPROACHES, SUCH AS THE SYNDEMIC APPROACH, AS POTENTIALLY USEFUL TO UNDERSTAND AND ADDRESS THIS COMPLEX PROBLEM IN THE CURRENT CONTEXT. IN CONCLUSION, IT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPLEMENTING RENEWED, MORE EFFICIENT AND EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO CONTROL THE GROWING PREVALENCE OF OBESITY, WHICH WOULD ALSO IMPACT ON THE BURDEN OF RELATED CHRONIC DISEASES, AND THUS ON THE ECONOMY AND WELL-BEING OF LATIN AMERICAN SOCIETIES. 2023 7 3631 35 INCORPORATING BIOMARKERS IN COPD MANAGEMENT: THE RESEARCH KEEPS GOING. GLOBALLY, CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) REMAINS A MAJOR CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY, HAVING A SIGNIFICANT SOCIOECONOMIC EFFECT. SEVERAL MOLECULAR MECHANISMS HAVE BEEN RELATED TO COPD INCLUDING CHRONIC INFLAMMATION, TELOMERE SHORTENING, AND EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS. NOWADAYS, THERE IS AN INCREASING NEED FOR NOVEL THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF COPD. THESE TREATMENT STRATEGIES SHOULD BE BASED ON FINDING THE SOURCE OF ACUTE EXACERBATION OF COPD EPISODES AND ESTIMATING THE PATIENT'S OWN RISK. THE USE OF BIOMARKERS AND THE MEASUREMENT OF THEIR LEVELS IN CONJUNCTION WITH COPD EXACERBATION RISK AND DISEASE PROGNOSIS IS CONSIDERED AN ENCOURAGING APPROACH. MANY TYPES OF COPD BIOMARKERS HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED WHICH INCLUDE BLOOD PROTEIN BIOMARKERS, CELLULAR BIOMARKERS, AND PROTEASE ENZYMES. THEY HAVE BEEN ISOLATED FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES INCLUDING PERIPHERAL BLOOD, SPUTUM, BRONCHOALVEOLAR FLUID, EXHALED AIR, AND GENETIC MATERIAL. HOWEVER, THERE IS STILL NOT AN EXCLUSIVE BIOMARKER THAT IS USED FOR THE EVALUATION OF COPD BUT RATHER A COMBINATION OF THEM, AND THIS IS ATTRIBUTED TO DISEASE COMPLEXITY. IN THIS REVIEW, WE SUMMARIZE THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF COPD-RELATED BIOMARKERS, THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH DISEASE OUTCOMES, AND COPD PATIENTS' MANAGEMENT. FINALLY, WE DEPICT THE VARIOUS SAMPLES THAT ARE USED FOR IDENTIFYING AND MEASURING THESE BIOMARKERS. 2022 8 4832 25 OMICS BIOMARKERS IN OBESITY: NOVEL ETIOLOGICAL INSIGHTS AND TARGETS FOR PRECISION PREVENTION. PURPOSE OF REVIEW: OMICS-BASED TECHNOLOGIES WERE SUGGESTED TO PROVIDE AN ADVANCED UNDERSTANDING OF OBESITY ETIOLOGY AND ITS METABOLIC CONSEQUENCES. THIS REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS THE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN "OMICS"-BASED RESEARCH AIMED TO IDENTIFY OBESITY-RELATED BIOMARKERS. RECENT FINDINGS: RECENT ADVANCES IN OBESITY AND METABOLISM RESEARCH INCREASINGLY RELY ON NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO IDENTIFY MECHANISMS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OBESITY USING VARIOUS "OMICS" PLATFORMS. GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC BIOMARKERS THAT TRANSLATE INTO CHANGES IN TRANSCRIPTOME, PROTEOME, AND METABOLOME COULD SERVE AS TARGETS FOR OBESITY PREVENTION. DESPITE A NUMBER OF PROMISING CANDIDATE BIOMARKERS, THERE IS AN INCREASED DEMAND FOR LARGER PROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDIES TO VALIDATE FINDINGS AND DETERMINE BIOMARKER REPRODUCIBILITY BEFORE THEY CAN FIND APPLICATIONS IN PRIMARY CARE AND PUBLIC HEALTH. "OMICS" BIOMARKERS HAVE ADVANCED OUR KNOWLEDGE ON THE ETIOLOGY OF OBESITY AND ITS LINKS WITH CHRONIC DISEASES. THEY BRING SUBSTANTIAL PROMISE IN IDENTIFYING EFFECTIVE PUBLIC HEALTH STRATEGIES THAT PAVE THE WAY TOWARDS PATIENT STRATIFICATION AND PRECISION PREVENTION. 2020 9 1942 54 EPIDEMIOLOGY OF LIVER CANCER IN AFRICA: CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS. HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA (HCC) IS A DISEASE OF GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE WITH MORTALITY ON THE RISE, DESPITE THE PREVENTABLE NATURE OF ITS RISK FACTORS ESPECIALLY IN AFRICA. IT IS NOW THE SIXTH MOST COMMON CANCER WORLDWIDE, FIFTH IN MALES, AND NINTH IN FEMALES. HCC INCIDENCE AND MORTALITY ARE PREDICTED TO INCREASE IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES CONSTRAINED BY LIMITED RESOURCES TO COMBAT ENDEMIC LEVELS OF VIRAL INFECTION AND SYNERGISTIC ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS. THE CHANGING NATURE OF HCC ETIOLOGY IS PARTICULARLY ILLUSTRATED HERE WITH THE TRADITIONAL RISK FACTORS LIKE VIRAL HEPATITIS COEXISTING ALONGSIDE HIGH HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) PREVALENCE AND RAPIDLY INCREASING URBANIZATION THAT HAVE PROMOTED A SHARP INCREASE IN ADDITIONAL RISK FACTORS LIKE COINFECTION, TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS, AND OBESITY. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENCES IN ETIOLOGY BETWEEN NORTH AFRICA AND SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA, RISK FACTORS LIKE CHRONIC VIRAL HEPATITIS B AND C, AFLATOXIN EXPOSURE, AND IRON OVERLOAD PREDOMINATE. AGGRESSIVE HEPATITIS B GENOTYPES, COMBINED WITH HEPATITIS B VIRUS/HEPATITIS C VIRUS/HIV COINFECTIONS AND AFLATOXIN EXPOSURE, PROMOTE A MORE AGGRESSIVE MOLECULAR PHENOTYPE. IN PARALLEL TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE MOLECULAR ETIOLOGY OF HCC, POLICY AND PLANNING INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS THE BURDEN OF HCC MUST BE ANCHORED WITHIN THE REALITY OF THE LIMITED RESOURCES AVAILABLE. ESTABLISHMENT AND COORDINATION OF CANCER REGISTRIES ACROSS AFRICA IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF DATA NECESSARY TO GALVANIZE ACTION. PREVENTIVE MEASURES INCLUDING HEPATITIS B VACCINATION PROGRAMS, MEASURES TO PREVENT MATERNAL-TO-CHILD AND CHILD-TO-CHILD TRANSMISSION, DELIVERY OF UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE ANTIRETROVIRAL AND ANTIVIRAL TREATMENTS, AND REDUCTION OF DIETARY AFLATOXIN EXPOSURE CAN CONTRIBUTE MARKEDLY TO REDUCE HCC INCIDENCE. FINALLY, THE DEVELOPMENT OF BIOMARKERS AND NEW THERAPEUTIC INTERVENTIONS WILL NEED A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIQUE GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF HCC ON THE CONTINENT. WE PRESENT A NARRATIVE REVIEW OF HCC IN AFRICA, DISCUSSING PRESENT AND FUTURE TRENDS. 2020 10 4515 38 MULTI-OMICS APPROACHES FOR PRECISION OBESITY MANAGEMENT : POTENTIALS AND LIMITATIONS OF OMICS IN PRECISION PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND RISK REDUCTION OF OBESITY. INTRODUCTION: OBESITY IS A MULTIFACTORIAL CHRONIC DISEASE THAT CANNOT BE ADDRESSED BY SIMPLY PROMOTING BETTER DIETS AND MORE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. TO DATE, NOT A SINGLE COUNTRY HAS SUCCESSFULLY BEEN ABLE TO CURB THE ACCUMULATING BURDEN OF OBESITY. ONE EXPLANATION FOR THE LACK OF PROGRESS IS THAT LIFESTYLE INTERVENTION PROGRAMS ARE TRADITIONALLY IMPLEMENTED WITHOUT A COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S DIAGNOSTIC BIOMARKERS. EVIDENCE FROM GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES HIGHLIGHT THE IMPORTANCE OF GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OBESITY AND HOW THEY IN TURN AFFECT THE TRANSCRIPTOME, METABOLITES, MICROBIOMES, AND PROTEOMES. OBJECTIVE: THE PURPOSE OF THIS REVIEW IS TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF OMICS DATA: GENOMICS, EPIGENOMICS, TRANSCRIPTOMICS, PROTEOMICS, METABOLOMICS AND ILLUSTRATE HOW A MULTI-OMICS APPROACH CAN BE FUNDAMENTAL FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PRECISION OBESITY MANAGEMENT. RESULTS: THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF OMICS DESIGNS ARE GROUPED INTO TWO CATEGORIES, THE GENOTYPE APPROACH AND THE PHENOTYPE APPROACH. WHEN APPLIED TO OBESITY PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT, EACH OMICS TYPE COULD POTENTIALLY HELP TO DETECT SPECIFIC BIOMARKERS IN PEOPLE WITH RISK PROFILES AND GUIDE HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS AND DECISION MAKERS IN DEVELOPING INDIVIDUALIZED TREATMENT PLANS ACCORDING TO THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL BEFORE THE ONSET OF OBESITY. CONCLUSION: INTEGRATING MULTI-OMICS APPROACHES WILL ENABLE A PARADIGM SHIFT FROM THE ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH TOWARDS PRECISION OBESITY MANAGEMENT, I.E. (1) PRECISION PREVENTION OF THE ONSET OF OBESITY, (2) PRECISION MEDICINE AND TAILORED TREATMENT OF OBESITY, AND (3) PRECISION RISK REDUCTION AND PREVENTION OF SECONDARY DISEASES RELATED TO OBESITY. 2023 11 1165 34 CONTRIBUTION OF DNA METHYLATION TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF SJOGREN'S SYNDROME: A REVIEW. SJOGREN'S SYNDROME (SS) IS A CHRONIC SYSTEMIC DISEASE CHARACTERISED BY SALIVARY AND LACRIMAL GLAND DYSFUNCTION WITH SEVERE IMPLICATIONS FOR THE WELL-BEING OF BEARING INDIVIDUALS. ALTHOUGH ITS ORIGIN HAS NOT YET BEEN FULLY ELUCIDATED, IT IS KNOWN THAT GENETIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND EPIGENETIC FACTORS ARE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF THIS SYNDROME. DNA METHYLATION IS A RELEVANT, WIDELY STUDIED EPIGENETIC FACTOR THAT IS POSSIBLY RELATED TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF SS. THE AIM OF THE PRESENT STUDY WAS TO PERFORM A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE TO COMPILE STUDIES ON THE CONTRIBUTION OF DNA METHYLATION TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF SS. A LITERATURE SEARCH WAS PERFORMED IN 4 DATABASES (PUBMED, WEB OF SCIENCE, LILACS, AND SCOPUS) USING PREVIOUSLY SELECTED MEDICAL SUBJECT HEADINGS (MESH) DESCRIPTORS, AND ARTICLE SELECTION CONSIDERED OBSERVATIONAL STUDIES ONLY. AFTER A FULL-TEXT READING OF THE SELECTED ARTICLES, 15 STUDIES WERE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR DATA EXTRACTION. METHYLATION DETECTION APPROACHES INCLUDED GLOBAL METHYLATION, GENOME-WIDE ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENTIALLY METHYLATED REGIONS, AND SITE-SPECIFIC METHYLATION. FOURTEEN ARTICLES REPORTED ASSOCIATIONS OF DNA METHYLATION PROFILES IN SS PATIENTS, BOTH GLOBALLY AND IN SEVERAL GENES IN SALIVARY GLANDS AND BLOOD CELLS. THUS, DNA METHYLATION MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THE PATHOGENESIS OF SS. THE FINDINGS REINFORCE THE IMPORTANCE OF EPIGENETIC MARKERS IN THE DYNAMICS OF SS AND MAY DIRECT EFFORTS TOWARD THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW DIAGNOSTIC AND THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES. 2022 12 6197 35 THE IMPACT OF TRADITIONAL FOOD AND LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOR ON EPIGENETIC BURDEN OF CHRONIC DISEASE. NONCOMMUNICABLE CHRONIC DISEASES (NCCDS) ARE THE LEADING CAUSES OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY GLOBALLY. THE MISMATCH BETWEEN PRESENT DAY DIETS AND ANCESTRAL GENOME IS SUGGESTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE NCCDS BURDEN, WHICH IS PROMOTED BY TRADITIONAL RISK FACTORS LIKE UNHEALTHY DIETS, PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO. HOWEVER, EPIGENETIC EVIDENCE NOW SUGGESTS THAT CUMULATIVELY INHERITED EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS MAY HAVE MADE HUMANS MORE PRONE TO THE EFFECTS OF PRESENT DAY LIFESTYLE FACTORS. PERINATAL STARVATION WAS WIDESPREAD IN THE 19TH CENTURY. THIS TOGETHER WITH MORE RECENT EVENTS LIKE INCREASING CONSUMPTION OF WESTERN AND LOW FIBER DIETS, SMOKING, HARMFUL USE OF ALCOHOL, PHYSICAL INACTIVITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS MAY HAVE PROGRAMED THE HUMAN EPIGENOME FOR HIGHER NCCDS RISK. IN THIS REVIEW, ON THE BASIS OF AVAILABLE EPIGENETIC DATA IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT TRANSGENERATIONAL EFFECTS OF LIFESTYLE FACTORS MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE CURRENT GLOBAL BURDEN OF NCCDS. THUS, THERE IS A NEED TO RECONSIDER PREVENTION STRATEGIES SO THAT THE SUBSEQUENT GENERATIONS WILL NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR OUR SINS AND THOSE OF OUR ANCESTORS. 2017 13 4869 30 OSTEOARTHRITIS YEAR IN REVIEW: GENETICS, GENOMICS, EPIGENETICS. OBJECTIVE: IN THIS REVIEW, WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED ADVANCES IN GENETICS, GENOMICS AND EPIGENETICS IN THE FIELD OF OSTEOARTHRITIS (OA) OVER THE PAST YEAR. METHODS: A LITERATURE SEARCH WAS PERFORMED USING PUBMED AND THE CRITERIA: "OSTEOARTHRITIS" AND ONE OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS "GENETIC(S), GENOMIC(S), EPIGENETIC(S), EPIGENOMIC(S), NONCODING RNA, MICRORNA, LONG NONCODING RNA, LNCRNA, CIRCULAR RNA, RNA SEQUENCING, SINGLE CELL SEQUENCING, OR DNA METHYLATION BETWEEN APRIL 1, 2019 AND APRIL 30, 2020. RESULTS: WE IDENTIFIED 653 UNIQUE PUBLICATIONS, MANY STUDIES SPANNED MULTIPLE SEARCH TERMS. WE SUMMARIZED ADVANCES RELATING TO EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS, PAIN, ETHNICITY SPECIFIC RISK FACTORS, FUNCTIONAL STUDIES OF GENE VARIANTS, AND INTERACTIONS BETWEEN CODING AND NON-CODING RNAS IN OA PATHOGENESIS. CONCLUSIONS: STUDIES HAVE IDENTIFIED VARIANTS CONTRIBUTING TO OA SUSCEPTIBILITY, CANDIDATE BIOMARKERS FOR DIAGNOSIS AND PROGNOSIS, AS WELL AS PROMISING THERAPEUTIC CANDIDATES. VALIDATION IN MULTIPLE COHORTS, MULTI-OMICS STRATEGIES, AND MACHINE LEARNING AIDED COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSES HAVE ALL CONTRIBUTED TO THE STRENGTH OF PUBLISHED LITERATURE. OPEN ACCESS DATA-SETS, GREATER SAMPLE SIZES TO CAPTURE BROADER POPULATIONS AND UNDERSTANDING DISEASE MECHANISMS BY INVESTIGATING THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN MULTIPLE TISSUE TYPES WILL FURTHER AID IN PROGRESS TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING AND CURING OA. 2021 14 666 37 BLOOD-BASED DNA METHYLATION BIOMARKERS FOR TYPE 2 DIABETES: POTENTIAL FOR CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. TYPE 2 DIABETES (T2D) IS A LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH AND DISABILITY WORLDWIDE. IT IS A CHRONIC METABOLIC DISORDER THAT DEVELOPS DUE TO AN INTERPLAY OF GENETIC, LIFESTYLE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS. THE BIOLOGICAL ONSET OF THE DISEASE OCCURS LONG BEFORE CLINICAL SYMPTOMS DEVELOP, THUS THE SEARCH FOR EARLY DIAGNOSTIC AND PROGNOSTIC BIOMARKERS, WHICH COULD FACILITATE INTERVENTION STRATEGIES TO PREVENT OR DELAY DISEASE PROGRESSION, HAS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY IN RECENT YEARS. EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS REPRESENT IMPORTANT LINKS BETWEEN GENETIC, ENVIRONMENTAL AND LIFESTYLE CUES AND INCREASING EVIDENCE IMPLICATE ALTERED EPIGENETIC MARKS SUCH AS DNA METHYLATION, THE MOST CHARACTERIZED AND WIDELY STUDIED EPIGENETIC MECHANISM, IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF T2D. THIS REVIEW PROVIDES AN UPDATE OF THE CURRENT STATUS OF DNA METHYLATION AS A BIOMARKER FOR T2D. FOUR DATABASES, SCOPUS, PUBMED, COCHRANE CENTRAL, AND GOOGLE SCHOLAR WERE SEARCHED FOR STUDIES INVESTIGATING DNA METHYLATION IN BLOOD. THIRTY-SEVEN STUDIES WERE IDENTIFIED, AND ARE SUMMARIZED WITH RESPECT TO POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS, BIOLOGICAL SOURCE, AND METHOD OF DNA METHYLATION QUANTIFICATION (GLOBAL, CANDIDATE GENE OR GENOME-WIDE). WE HIGHLIGHT THAT DIFFERENTIAL METHYLATION OF THE TCF7L2, KCNQ1, ABCG1, TXNIP, PHOSPHO1, SREBF1, SLC30A8, AND FTO GENES IN BLOOD ARE REPRODUCIBLY ASSOCIATED WITH T2D IN DIFFERENT POPULATION GROUPS. THESE GENES SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED AND REPLICATED IN LONGITUDINAL STUDIES ACROSS MORE POPULATIONS IN FUTURE STUDIES. FINALLY, WE DISCUSS THE LIMITATIONS FACED BY DNA METHYLATION STUDIES, WHICH INCLUDE INCLUDING INTERPATIENT VARIABILITY, CELLULAR HETEROGENEITY, AND LACK OF ACCOUNTING FOR STUDY CONFOUNDERS. THESE LIMITATIONS AND CHALLENGES MUST BE OVERCOME BEFORE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF BLOOD-BASED DNA METHYLATION BIOMARKERS INTO A CLINICAL SETTING. WE EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR LONGITUDINAL PROSPECTIVE STUDIES TO SUPPORT THE ROBUSTNESS OF THE CURRENT FINDINGS OF THIS REVIEW. 2018 15 3399 36 HOW CAN GENETICS AND EPIGENETICS HELP THE NEPHROLOGIST IMPROVE THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE PATIENTS? DISCOVERY OF NOVEL IMPROVED TOOLS FOR DIAGNOSIS, PREVENTION AND THERAPY OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE (CKD) IS AN IMPORTANT TASK FOR THE NEPHROLOGY COMMUNITY AND IT IS LIKELY THAT SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS, TO A LARGE EXTENT, WILL BE BASED ON GENOMICS. THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE NUMBER OF GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES, MAJOR ADVANCES IN DNA SEQUENCING AND OMICS PROFILING, AND ACCELERATING BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH EFFORTS IN THIS AREA HAVE GREATLY EXPANDED THE KNOWLEDGE BASE NEEDED FOR APPLIED GENOMICS. HOWEVER, TRANSLATING AND IMPLEMENTING GENOTYPE-PHENOTYPE DATA INTO GENE-BASED MEDICINE IN CKD POPULATIONS IS STILL IN AN EARLY PHASE AND WILL REQUIRE CONTINUOUS RESEARCH EFFORTS WITH INTEGRATED APPROACHES AND INTENSIFIED INVESTIGATIONS THAT FOCUS ON THE BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS, WHICH CAUSATIVELY LINK A GENETIC VARIANT WITH THE DISEASE PHENOTYPE. IN THIS ARTICLE, WE REVIEW SOME CURRENT STRATEGIES TO UNRAVEL THESE TRANSLATIONAL GAPS AS WELL AS PROSPECTS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GENETIC AND EPIGENETIC METHODS INTO NOVEL CLINICAL PRACTICE. 2014 16 2636 26 EPIGENOME-WIDE EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS INFECTION, TREATMENT, AND DISEASE PROGRESSION. DESPITE SIGNIFICANT ADVANCES IN THE TREATMENT AND CARE OF PEOPLE WITH HIV (PWH), SEVERAL CHALLENGES REMAIN IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF DISEASE PATHOGENESIS TO IMPROVE PATIENT CARE. HIV INFECTION CAN MODIFY THE HOST EPIGENOME AND AS SUCH CAN IMPACT DISEASE PROGRESSION, AS WELL AS THE MOLECULAR PROCESSES DRIVING NON-AIDS COMORBIDITIES IN PWH. EPIGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES INCLUDING EPIGENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDIES (EWAS) OFFER A UNIQUE SET OF TOOLS TO EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HIV DISEASE AND TO IDENTIFY NOVEL STRATEGIES APPLICABLE TO TREATMENT AND DIAGNOSIS IN THIS PATIENT POPULATION. IN THIS REVIEW, WE SUMMARIZE THE CURRENT STATE OF KNOWLEDGE FROM EPIGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES OF PWH, IDENTIFY THE MAIN CHALLENGES OF THIS APPROACH, AND HIGHLIGHT FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR THE FIELD. EMERGING EPIGENETIC EPIDEMIOLOGIC STUDIES OF PWH CAN EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HIV INFECTION AND HEALTH OUTCOMES, IMPROVE SCIENTIFIC VALIDITY THROUGH COLLABORATION AND REPLICATION, AND INCREASE THE COVERAGE OF DIVERSE POPULATIONS AFFECTED BY THE GLOBAL HIV PANDEMIC. THROUGH THIS REVIEW, WE HOPE TO HIGHLIGHT THE POTENTIAL OF EWAS AS A TOOL FOR HIV RESEARCH AND TO ENGAGE MORE INVESTIGATORS TO EXPLORE ITS APPLICATION TO IMPORTANT RESEARCH QUESTIONS. 2022 17 2555 25 EPIGENETICS IN RENAL DISEASES. WITH AGING, PREVALENCE OF OBESITY, HYPERTENSION, DIABETES AND RENAL DISEASES HAVE INCREASED GLOBALLY. OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES, THE PREVALENCE OF RENAL DISEASES HAS BEEN INTENSELY INCREASING. RENAL DISEASE AND RENAL PROGRAMMING ARE REGULATED BY EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS LIKE DNA METHYLATION AND HISTONE MODIFICATIONS. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS HAVE SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF RENAL DISEASE PROGRESSION. UNDERSTANDING THE POTENTIAL OF EPIGENETIC REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION MAY BE USEFUL IN RENAL DISEASE PROGNOSIS, DIAGNOSIS AND PROVIDES NOVEL THERAPEUTIC MEASURES. IN A NUTSHELL, THIS CHAPTER TALKS ABOUT THE ROLE OF EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS-DNA METHYLATION, HISTONE MODIFICATION, AND NONCODING RNA IN DIFFERENT RENAL DISEASES. THESE INCLUDE DIABETIC KIDNEY DISEASE, DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY, RENAL FIBROSIS, ETC. 2023 18 3144 30 GLOBAL ORAL HEALTH INEQUALITIES: TASK GROUP--PERIODONTAL DISEASE. PERIODONTAL DISEASES CONSTITUTE ONE OF THE MAJOR GLOBAL ORAL HEALTH BURDENS, AND PERIODONTITIS REMAINS A MAJOR CAUSE OF TOOTH LOSS IN ADULTS WORLDWIDE. THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION RECENTLY REPORTED THAT SEVERE PERIODONTITIS EXISTS IN 5-20% OF ADULT POPULATIONS, AND MOST CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS EXHIBIT SIGNS OF GINGIVITIS. LIKELY REASONS TO ACCOUNT FOR THESE PREVALENT DISEASES INCLUDE GENETIC, EPIGENETIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL RISK FACTORS, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DETERMINANTS. CURRENTLY, THERE ARE FUNDAMENTAL GAPS IN KNOWLEDGE OF SUCH FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES AS THE MECHANISMS OF INITIATION AND PROGRESSION OF PERIODONTAL DISEASES, WHICH ARE UNDEFINED; INABILITY TO IDENTIFY HIGH-RISK FORMS OF GINGIVITIS THAT PROGRESS TO PERIODONTITIS; LACK OF EVIDENCE ON HOW TO PREVENT THE DISEASES EFFECTIVELY; INABILITY TO DETECT DISEASE ACTIVITY AND PREDICT TREATMENT EFFICACY; AND LIMITED INFORMATION ON THE EFFECTS OF INTEGRATION OF PERIODONTAL HEALTH AS A PART OF THE HEALTH CARE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROMOTE GENERAL HEALTH AND PREVENT CHRONIC DISEASES. IN THE PRESENT REPORT, 12 BASIC, TRANSLATIONAL, AND APPLIED RESEARCH AREAS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF GLOBAL PERIODONTAL HEALTH INEQUALITY. WE BELIEVE THAT THE ORAL HEALTH BURDEN CAUSED BY PERIODONTAL DISEASES COULD BE RELIEVED SIGNIFICANTLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE THROUGH AN EFFECTIVE GLOBAL COLLABORATION. 2011 19 6123 31 THE EPIGENETIC MACHINERY IN VASCULAR DYSFUNCTION AND HYPERTENSION. HYPERTENSION (HT) IS AMONG THE MAJOR COMPONENTS OF THE METABOLIC SYNDROME, I.E., OBESITY, DYSLIPIDEMIA, AND HYPERGLYCEMIA/INSULIN RESISTANCE. IT REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT HEALTH PROBLEM WITH FOREMOST RISKS FOR CHRONIC CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND A SIGNIFICANT CAUSE OF MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY WORLDWIDE. THEREFORE, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THIS DISORDER CONSTITUTES A SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN. ALTHOUGH MULTIPLE STUDIES HAVE STRESSED THE MULTIFACTORIAL NATURE OF HT, THE PATHOGENESIS REMAINS LARGELY UNKNOWN. HOWEVER, IF WE WANT TO REDUCE THE GLOBAL PREVALENCE OF HT, RESTRAIN THE NUMBER OF DEATHS (CURRENTLY 9.4 MILLION/YEAR IN THE WORLD), AND ALLEVIATE THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC BURDEN, A DEEPER INSIGHT INTO THE MECHANISMS IS URGENTLY NEEDED IN ORDER TO DEFINE NEW MEANINGFUL THERAPEUTIC TARGETS. RECENTLY, THE ROLE OF EPIGENETICS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS COMPLEX DISEASES HAS ATTRACTED MUCH ATTENTION. IN THE PRESENT REVIEW, WE PROVIDE A CRITICAL UPDATE ON THE AVAILABLE LITERATURE AND ONGOING RESEARCH REGARDING THE EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS OF GENES INVOLVED IN SEVERAL PATHWAYS OF ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE, ESPECIALLY THOSE LINKED TO THE VASCULAR EPITHELIUM. THIS REVIEW ALSO FOCUSES ON THE ROLE OF MICRORNA (MIRNA) IN THE REGULATION OF GENE EXPRESSION ASSOCIATED WITH HT AND OF FETAL PROGRAMMING MEDIATING SUSCEPTIBILITY TO HT IN ADULTHOOD. 2017 20 1871 36 EMERGING ROLE OF EPIGENETICS IN EXPLAINING RELATIONSHIP OF PERIODONTITIS AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES. CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES SUCH AS ISCHEMIC HEART DISEASES OR STROKE ARE AMONG THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATHS GLOBALLY, AND EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT THESE DISEASES ARE MODULATED BY A MULTIFACTORIAL AND COMPLEX INTERPLAY OF GENETIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND LIFESTYLE FACTORS. GENETIC PREDISPOSITION AND CHRONIC EXPOSURE TO MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS HAVE BEEN EXPLORED TO BE INVOLVED IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF CVD. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO AN INDIVIDUAL'S PROPENSITY TO DEVELOP MAJOR CARDIOVASCULAR RISK FACTORS THROUGH EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS OF DNA AND HISTONES VIA MIRNA REGULATION OF PROTEIN TRANSLATION THAT ARE TYPES OF EPIGENETIC MECHANISMS AND PARTICIPATE IN DISEASE DEVELOPMENT. PERIODONTAL DISEASE (PD) IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON ORAL DISEASES IN HUMANS THAT IS CHARACTERIZED BY LOW-GRADE INFLAMMATION AND HAS BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE THE RISK OF CVDS. RISK FACTORS INVOLVED IN PD AND CVD ARE DETERMINED BOTH GENETICALLY AND BEHAVIORALLY. PERIODONTAL DISEASES SUCH AS CHRONIC INFLAMMATION PROMOTE DNA METHYLATION. EPIGENETIC MODIFICATIONS INVOLVED IN THE INITIATION AND PROGRESSION OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS PLAY AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN PLAQUE DEVELOPMENT AND VULNERABILITY. EPIGENETICS HAS OPENED A NEW WORLD TO UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE HUMAN DISEASES, INCLUDING CVDS AND PERIODONTAL DISEASES. GENETIC MEDICINE HAS STARTED A NEW ERA OF EPIGENETICS TO OVERCOME HUMAN DISEASES WITH VARIOUS NEW METHODOLOGY. EPIGENETIC PROFILING MAY AID IN BETTER DIAGNOSIS AND STRATIFICATION OF PATIENTS SHOWING POTENTIAL PREDISPOSED STATES FOR DISEASE. A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE EXACT REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF EPIGENETIC PATHWAYS DRIVING INFLAMMATION IS SLOWLY EMERGING AND WILL AID IN DEVELOPING NOVEL TOOLS FOR THE TREATMENT OF DISEASE. 2021