More than 79 million Americans have cardiovascular disease (CVD); it is the leading cause of death in the United States (1). In 2004, CVD was responsible for almost 40% of all deaths among Americans; 15.8 million adults had heart disease, 7.9 million had heart attacks, and 5.7 million had strokes (1). Although the complex constellation of risk factors, conditions, and diseases that constitute CVD is not easily understood by the public, most people are familiar with the terms heart attack and stroke.