This week, cardiologists presented the first clinical studies of two such devices at a conference on cardiovascular therapies in Washington, D.

There are numerous reasons for the higher incidence of mortality from cardiovascular disease in African Americans, including economic issues, access to medical care and lifestyle issues, genetic differences also play a role, notes Atlanta cardiologist Jayne Middlebrooks, MD, director of cardiology, Health Screen America, and a member of the Association of Black Cardiologists.

Sophisticated techniques to diagnose and treat atherosclerosis are widely available, but they are not widely used because so few cardiologists understand them.