During a visit to the Icelandic Heart Association (Hjartavernd) where I met with Dr. Vilmundur (Villi) Guðnasson, it became abundantly clear that the scientific partnership between the American National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Icelandic Heart Association is producing groundbreaking results in the fight against heart disease. Villi explained that since 2001, NIH has provided nearly $50 million in funding to the Icelandic Heart Association in support of its longitudinal study on aging and other groundbreaking research that is giving us a better understanding of heart disease risks and a foundation for preventive interventions in the population. The research facilities at Hjartavernd are among the best in the world and another manifestation of the great partnership between our two countries.
