More Dallas residents die from heart disease than from any other cause. To determine the factors contributing to the high rate of heart disease in our community, Helen H. Hobbs, M.D., spearheaded a large, long-term population study in the city, the multiethnic Dallas Heart Study. In this lecture, Dr. Hobbs will review the discoveries she and her colleagues have made through the project, including identifying genetic defects causing extremely high levels of cholesterol and heart attacks at an early age and factors that reduce blood cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease. By bringing these discoveries from the laboratories of UT Southwestern to the community, the overall goal of the project is to improve the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of heart disease.