Table of Contents “...Cardiovascular diseases : a global public health challenge -- Distributions and disparities -- Atherosclerosis -- Coronary heart disease -- Stroke -- Related conditions -- Genes and environment -- Dietary imbalance -- Physical inactivity -- Obesity -- Adverse blood lipid profile -- High blood pressure -- Diabetes and the metabolic syndrome -- Smoking and other tobacco use -- Other personal factors -- Social and physical environment -- What causes cardiovascular diseases? ...”