A genetic variant in the SMAD3 gene that encodes one of the downstream activating transcriptional mediators (Smad3) of TGFβ1 signalling[1,2] was associated with CHD risk in a GWA study[44], which was recently replicated in a large-scale meta-analysis of CHD studies[45]. The gene discussed is SMAD3; the disease is coronary artery disorder.