Coronary Heart Disease Research

For more than 75 years, the NHLBI has been at the forefront of improving the nation's health and reducing the burden of heart and vascular diseases. Heart disease, including coronary heart disease, remains the leading cause of death in the United States. However, the rate of death due to heart disease has declined by 70% over the past 50 years, thanks in part to NHLBI-funded research. Many current NHLBI-funded studies focus on discovering genetic associations and finding new ways to prevent and treat the onset of coronary heart disease and associated medical conditions.

NHLBI research that really made a difference

The NHLBI supports a wide range of long-term studies on coronary heart disease risk factors. These studies, among others, have led to many discoveries that have increased our understanding of the causes of cardiovascular disease among different populations, helping to shape evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.

  • Risk factors that can be changed: The NHLBI Framingham Heart Study (FHS) found that heart disease is caused by risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol levels, and physical inactivity. Researchers also showed that cardiovascular disease can affect people differently depending on sex or race and ethnicity, underscoring the need to address health disparities.
  • Risk factors for Hispanic/Latino adults: The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) found that Hispanic/Latina women with a history of high blood pressure during pregnancy are at higher risk of changes in heart structure and function decades later, compared with women without a history of high blood pressure during pregnancy. Researchers also used HCHS/SOL genetic data to explore genes linked with central adiposity (having excess body fat around the waist) in Hispanic/Latino adults. Some of the genes identified were more common among people with Mexican or Central/South American ancestry, while others were more common among people of Caribbean ancestry.
  • Risk factors for African American people: The Jackson Heart Study (JHS), launched in 1997, includes more than 5,300 African American men and women in Jackson, Mississippi. The goal of the study is to investigate genetic and environmental factors that raise the risk of heart problems, especially high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and peripheral artery disease. Researchers discovered a gene variant in African American people that doubles their risk of heart disease. A community engagement aspect of the JHS is putting the study's 20-year findings into action by turning traditional gathering places, such as barbershops and churches, into health information hubs.
  • Risk factors for American Indian people: The NHLBI actively supports the Strong Heart Study (SHS), the largest and longest-running epidemiologic study of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among American Indian people. The study began in 1988. In 2024, SHS scientists reported that more than half of the 1,400 American Indian teens and young adults in the study had high levels of cholesterol and fat in their blood. These high levels increase their risk of developing cardiovascular disease. SHS involves a partnership with 12 Tribal Nations and has followed more than 8,000 participants, many of whom live in low-income rural areas of Arizona, Oklahoma, and North and South Dakota.

Current research funded by the NHLBI

The Division of Cardiovascular Sciences' Atherothrombosis and Coronary Artery Disease Branch of its Adult and Pediatric Cardiac Research Program, along with the Center for Translation Research and Implementation Science, oversee much of NHLBI-funded research on coronary heart disease.

Current research on preventing coronary heart disease

  • Blood cholesterol and coronary heart disease: The NHLBI supports new research on lowering the risk of coronary heart disease by reducing levels of cholesterol in the blood. Proteins that circulate in the blood, called triglyceride-rich apolipoprotein B-containing lipoproteins (ApoBCLs), can pose a risk/can increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Researchers are working to find innovative ways to reduce the levels of ApoBCLs, which may help prevent coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions.
  • Community-level efforts to lower heart disease risk among African American people: The NHLBI is funding initiatives to partner with churches in order to engage with African American communities and lower disparities in heart health. Studies have found that church-led interventions reduce risk factors for coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular conditions. NHLBI-supported researchers assessed data from more than 17,000 participants across multiple studies and determined that these community-based approaches are effective in lowering heart disease risk factors.
  • Visiting high-risk mothers in rural America: Obesity and tobacco use are common in the Northern Appalachia region and are risk factors for heart disease. The NHLBI is funding a program to test home visits as a way to engage women who are pregnant, and to help new mothers prevent heart disease by teaching them about healthy lifestyle habits and parenting practices. The study is part of the NHLBI's Early Intervention to Promote Cardiovascular Health of Mothers and Children (ENRICH) program.

Find more NHLBI-funded studies on preventing coronary heart disease on the NIH RePORTER.

Current research on understanding the causes of coronary heart disease

  • Pregnancy and long-term heart disease: NHLBI researchers are continuing the Nulliparous Pregnancy Outcomes Study: Monitoring Mothers-to-be (nuMoM2b) to understand the relationship between pregnancy-related problems, such as gestational hypertension, and heart problems. The study also looks at how problems during pregnancy may increase risk factors for heart disease later in life. nuMoM2b researchers found that, at the time women conceived their children, women who had a heart-healthy diet rich in vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, and seeds were less likely to experience adverse outcomes, such as gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, during their pregnancy. nuMoM2b launched in 2010 and long-term studies are ongoing. The goal is to collect high-quality data and understand how heart disease develops in women after pregnancy.
  • International collaboration: The NHLBI supports research to increase our understanding of heart disease in South Asian populations. Even at young ages, and without having traditional risk factors such as overweight, South Asian people are at high risk of coronary heart disease. Since 2010, Indian and U.S. researchers have collaborated to learn more about why this is. Working with some of the 21,864 people who previously joined the study in India, the researchers will collect new data to understand how factors such as stress, sleep, or activity levels affect participants' heart health.
  • Genetic predisposition to heart disease: The U.S. Hispanic and Latino population has a relatively high burden of risk factors for cardiovascular disease, including obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes. NHLBI researchers are doing a thorough genetic analysis to help understand gene patterns related to coronary heart disease and stroke in Hispanic and Latino communities.

Find more NHLBI-funded studies on the causes of coronary heart disease on the NIH RePORTER.

Current research on treatments for coronary heart disease

Find more NHLBI-funded studies on treating coronary heart disease on the NIH RePORTER.

Coronary heart disease research labs at the NHLBI

Related coronary heart disease programs

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Explore more NHLBI research on coronary heart disease

The sections above provide you with the highlights of NHLBI-supported research on coronary heart disease. You can explore the full list of NHLBI-funded studies on the NIH RePORTER.

To find more studies:

  • Type your search words into the Quick Search box and press enter. 
  • Check Active Projects if you want to find current research.
  • Select the Agencies arrow, then the NIH arrow, then check NHLBI.

If you want to sort the projects by budget size from the biggest to the smallest click on the FY Total Cost by IC column heading.

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