Heart disease is the leading killer in the United States.
Unchecked, it is a silent, insidious disease that can
begin in
early youth and develop imperceptibly through early
adult life, then manifest itself at the prime of life,
sometimes striking with little warning with fatal or
life-altering results. The disease process that leads
to this outcome represents a complex interaction of
multiple factors associated with lifestyle, environment,
and genetics. Studies by LSUHSC physicians and scientists
in the Department of Pathology over the last 40 years
have identified some of these risk factors, illuminating
the magnitude and extent to which they contribute to
the disease and its outcome. As a result of the understanding
brought about by these studies, it was clear that because
of the multi-factorial pathology of the disease, the
search for better methods of prevention and treatment
would require the combined knowledge of clinical medicine
and the basic sciences. This led to the effort to create
a multidisciplinary center for the study and treatment
of cardiovascular disease.
Approval for the establishment of a Cardiovascular Center
at LSUHSC was obtained from the Board of Regents in
1992. The goal of the Cardiovascular Center is to improve
the understanding and management of cardiovascular diseases
through an integrated multidisciplinary approach. To
this end, cooperative agreements exist between several
departments in order to facilitate and encourage the
exchange of ideas and resources and to stimulate new
areas of research that will benefit our understanding
of heart disease and lead to better methods prevention
and treatment. The addition of new department heads
in Physiology and in Pharmacology with cardiovascular
research backgrounds and interests has energized the
interdisciplinary efforts in the Cardiovascular Center.
Also, in the department of Pathology, new faculty members
have initiated an active research program in the study
of oxidative stress, a key mechanism involved in cardiovascular
disease. These events signal a new wave of exciting
developments and opportunities in the field of cardiovascular
research at LSUHSC. You are invited to peruse our web
pages for more information and to attend the seminars
and activities posted on the calendar.
**Please be patient with us. The web site is currently
undergoing changes**
Heart disease is the leading killer in the United States.
Unchecked, it is a silent, insidious disease that can
begin in
early youth and develop imperceptibly through early
adult life, then manifest itself at the prime of life,
sometimes striking with little warning with fatal or
life-altering results. The disease process that leads
to this outcome represents a complex interaction of
multiple factors associated with lifestyle, environment,
and genetics. Studies by LSUHSC physicians and scientists
in the Department of Pathology over the last 40 years
have identified some of these risk factors, illuminating
the magnitude and extent to which they contribute to
the disease and its outcome. As a result of the understanding
brought about by these studies, it was clear that because
of the multi-factorial 
pathology of the disease, the
search for better methods of prevention and treatment
would require the combined knowledge of clinical medicine
and the basic sciences. This led to the effort to create
a multidisciplinary center for the study and treatment
of cardiovascular disease.