Dear Jane,

        I agree that more money (and even the bulk of available resources) should
be spent on promoting healthier lifestyles in respect to diet, exercise and
smoking to lessen the global burden of CVD (and many other diseases).
        However I don't agree that this sort of promotion should be at the expense
of research into CVD. The understanding of even rare genetic abnormalities
can help to improve general understand of CVD and its development.
Understanding why the Japanese as some of the heaviest smokers in the world
still live the longest, as Dr Raphael points out, may lead to a therapy for
people who don't have that apparent protection. This may be important for
those individuals who will ignore the promotion of healthier lifestyles and
develop CVD. Or those that do live healthy lifestyles but develop CVD
anyway. Both examples representing a great cost to health systems.
        Don't misunderstand promotion should, by far, be the priority but research
can still play an important, if more long term role in the reduction of CVD.

Damien Cordery

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