Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes mellitus have an underlying genetic basis and represent risk factors for ischemic heart disease. Ischemic heart disease includes heart attack and related heart problems resulting from narrowing of the coronary arteries. Clinical experience suggests that there is significant biological variation in the degree to which patients with ischemic heart disease tolerate a heart attack, independent of environmental factors. This suggests an underlying genetic component responsible for susceptibility to heart attacks. However the genetic component(s) underlying susceptibility to heart attacks is unknown.

Dr. Baker's research team has discovered that different strains of rats demonstrate marked variance in their susceptibility to heart attacks suggesting a genetic basis for these differences.

His research brings new hope to the thousands of families whose members experience a heart attack or must undergo open heart surgery each year.