Metabolic diseases (like diabetes mellitus and hyperlipaemia) and atherosclerosis are also known as multifactorial or complex diseases. This is because both hereditary and environmental factors and the correlation between them, as well as the behavior of individuals, play a causal role in these diseases.

Gaining insight and deeper understanding of the emergence of these diseases is the greatest challenge to medicine, biology and genetics. Metabolic disorders are a major cause of atherosclerosis leading to heart attacks, strokes and circulatory problems and represent the most common cause of death in the western world. Among the many risk factors for atherosclerosis, increasing age and an increase in blood cholesterol have been scientifically substantiated. Recent years have shown that other disturbances in the transport of blood fats, an increase in triglycerides (neutral fat) and a reduction in high-density lipoproteins play a decisive role in the development of atherosclerotic diseases. The latter disorder often occurs together with insensitivity to insulin, increasing blood pressure and obesity. These errors of metabolism are called metabolic syndrome, and in many cases lead to type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart attack and stroke. The ever-increasing knowledge in genome research will in future be applied to well-defined studies. The aim will be to determine the importance of specific genetic and environmental factors and the correlation to the pathogenesis of these diseases, so as to establish a cogent basis for the development of effective treatments.