Strong Heart Study

Strong Heart Study – Phase IV-2000 to Present
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Dr. Lyle Best, M.D., Principal Investigator

Cardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of death in American Indians. Several problems have made it difficult to determine the prevalence and severity of cardiovascular disease among American Indians. Small community size, relatively young age, and cultural and anthropologic diversity make it difficult to include large numbers of Indians in research examinations.

High rates of CVD in younger Indians suggest that the overall rate will increase as the population ages, and be a much more serious health problem in the future. In addition, health care services available to Indians differ considerably in geographic areas. Since it is well established that many risk factors for CVD and the tendency toward atherosclerosis are familial, Phase IV of the Strong Heart Study now provides a very valuable resource for genetic determinations of CVD. Since family sizes are large we have the opportunity to map genes that influence cardiovascular risk factors in this population.

The Strong Heart Study is the only large-scale study of CVD risk factors in American Indians. Until now, however, analyses of the contribution of genetic factors to CVD risk have not been included in the Strong Heart Study. A long-term goal of the Strong Heart Study is to detect and map new polymorphic genes that influence variation in risk factors for CVD and other related disorders in American Indians. Using new methods for human gene mapping, we will conduct a genome-wide search for genes that influence CVD risk.