Emerging evidence indicates that there are ethnicity-specific differences in the profile of biochemical, metabolic and physiological perturbations associated with obesity. The implications of these ethnic differences remain to be further defined. Several epidemiologic studies have shown that vascular disease and its cardiovascular complications, carry significantly higher morbidity and mortality in African Americans compared with Caucasians.1-3 These observations may be partly explained by a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease risk factors, such as essential hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and tobacco use among African Americans.4-6 However, the pathophysiological processes underlying this racial predisposition have not been fully elucidated.7 It is likely that the etiologic basis of ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease is multi-factorial and involves dynamic gene-environment interactions in which variances in behavior and the social context are critical determinants.

The proposed Program recognizes the importance of incorporating both biological factors and social determinants in the analysis of cardiovascular disparities