Overview

First the good news: Death rates from coronary heart disease and stroke declined over the past decade.

Now the bad: Heart disease is still the single leading cause of death in America and stroke is third. Behavior and environmental factors—tobacco, diet, activity level—play a significant role in the development of cardiovascular disease. Genetics provides us with different levels of susceptibility, too.

Our researchers are homing in on the complex gene networks that influence cardiovascular function and cholesterol levels in the bloodstream. Of particular interest are the genes that control high density lipoprotein (HDL – the "good" cholesterol) in the blood. The ability to increase HDL levels has the potential to greatly improve therapies for those at high risk of cardiovascular disease.