There should certainly be nothing more natural for the Director of Research of the Florida Heart Research Institute to focus on than the editorial topic for this month: heart health. On the other hand, for those of us who spend our days scaling the “trees”, commenting on the “forest”, this can be a daunting task. It is perhaps wisest to divide the topic into two general areas—what can we, the scientific professionals, do to improve heart health, and what can you, the lay public do to improve your own heart health?

Regarding the focus of our research efforts at the Institute, we seek to open vital new areas of exploration that do not have a logical “patron” (such as a drug or device company), nor have they yet reached the “critical mass” necessary to attract NIH or other major support. Bone marrow stem cell mediators, genetic control patterns governing native cardiac stem cells, the role of period acceleration (back and forth motion) in releasing endogenous mediators which prevent inflammation and protect against reperfusion injury, genetic profiling of coronary artery disease, sudden cardiac death and inflammatory cardiomyopathy, exploring the role of diet in altering the molecular mediators of heart disease in obesity, novel use of CT imagining to identify preclinical coronary artery disease—a lot of mumbo jumbo? Maybe … These are a few of the areas in which FHRI is actively creating cross-institutional collaborations and pursuing research. Each of them is an extremely promising area, but each of them will remain a bit of “mumbo jumbo” until we are able to foster their development into areas that have a firm enough scientific footing to join the brave and exciting future of clinical medicine.

Although it may perhaps be reassuring to know that so many people are working so hard to gain greater insight into heart disease and to develop novel and exciting therapies, the fact remains that as we begin 2009 we find that cardiovascular disease is still the leading killer of men and women in this country, and one of the three leading killers of men and women in the world. In the United States alone, approximately 2,500 people succumb each day! And that is despite the 30% drop in mortality we have witnessed over the past two decades! Even more daunting is the epidemic of obesity rampant in our youth and our general population—one which is associated with diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, and one which is on track to overtake cigarette smoking as the leading cause of preventable disease in this country. In short, human behavior is defeating scientific advancement.

Therefore, although it may be somewhat comforting to know that there doctors and scientists out there forever seeking to expand knowledge and increase the opportunities for cure, we all must address the simple issue that cardiovascular disease, as lethal as it may be, is largely preventable. Although there is an increasing panel of measureable parameters—genetic, molecular, biochemical—associated with the incidence of coronary events, it is the classic “modifiable risk factors” defined by the Framingham study so many years ago that remain the core of a wise preventive strategy. Attention to these three risk factors: elevated LDL, smoking, hypertension, in addition to weight (if your waist in inches in more than half your height in inches you are in trouble!), physical activity (30 minutes anaerobic activity 6 times per week would be nice, but the most important thing is to find something that you will actually do, even moderate exercise helps), a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, high fiber, healthy fats (canola and olive oil, omega 3’s) and you may never need the help of the scientific brain trust working so hard to try to help save your life. There is no doubt in the mind of even the most sophisticated scientist in the field of cardiovascular research, that the brightest future lies in the area of prevention. To put it another way, you are in the driver’s seat! Happy Heart Month!