Cardiovascular
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Coronary heart disease (also called coronary artery disease), the most common type of heart disease, occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. Coronary heart disease can cause angina (chest pain) or a heart attack and, over time, contributes to serious disability or death. Other fairly prevalent chronic, serious cardiovascular conditions include hypertension, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and peripheral arterial disease. The over one million annual deaths from coronary heart disease seen 30-40 years ago now have been cut by more than half due to new drugs, procedures, and prevention programs developed, in part, through NIH research. However, the aging of the population and the increased prevalence of obesity and diabetes threaten to reverse that trend.

NIH ARRA funding is fueling investigations to identify genetic and environmental risk factors, explore cutting-edge diagnostics, and develop treatments in cardiovascular research areas such as: coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, pediatric heart disease, peripheral arterial disease, and pulmonary hypertension

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