Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Risk Assessment and Reduction

Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, accounting for more than 1.4 million deaths each year (American Heart Association. Heart and Stroke Statistics-2004 Update. Dallas, Texas: American Heart Association, 2003). The Center for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention (CCDP) was created in 2000, as a partnership between the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center and Baylor College of Medicine, to identify and implement new preventive and therapeutic strategies to reduce pain, suffering and death from cardiovascular disease. In clinical and translational research, investigators at the CCDP use a comprehensive approach directed at improving both risk assessment and risk reduction.