The latest in Nature‘s Insights series is Cardiovascular disease (Nature 451; 21 February 2008), the most common cause of death worldwide and becoming even more prevalent as the population ages. New therapeutic targets are being identified as a result of emerging insights into disease mechanisms, and new strategies are also being tested, possibly leading to new treatment options. Improving diagnosis is also crucial, because by detecting disease early, the focus could be shifted from treatment to prevention. This Insight collection of an Editorial and eight Review and Progress articles is freely accessible online.

Editorial: Cardiovascular disease

Michael Basson

Reviews and Progress articles:

Translating molecular discoveries into new therapies for atherosclerosis

Daniel J. Rader & Alan Daugherty

Triggers, targets and treatments for thrombosis

Nigel Mackman

Tackling heart failure in the twenty-first century

James O. Mudd & David A. Kass

A genetic framework for improving arrhythmia therapy

Björn C. Knollmann & Dan M. Roden

Stem-cell therapy for cardiac disease

Vincent F. M. Segers & Richard T. Lee

The developmental genetics of congenital heart disease

Benoit G. Bruneau

The search for new cardiovascular biomarkers

Robert E. Gerszten & Thomas J. Wang

Imaging of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

Javier Sanz & Zahi A. Fayad

An index of all Nature’s Insightscollections is available here.