A grant of more than $5 million from the National Institutes of Health is giving cardiology researchers the chance to explore underlying causes of heart failure in Hispanic and Latino populations.  

Natalie Diaz is a Bronx resident who knows about the risk of her suffering heart problems due to her family history – part of the reason she is joining the new study. 

Diaz says her mother suffers from hypertension, while Diaz herself was recently diagnosed with high blood pressure.  

“All the studies are essential, but this one with the heart hit close to home,” said Diaz. “I feel that, as Latinos, we haven’t been studied enough.” 

Dr. Carlos Rodriguez, the director of clinical cardiology research at Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System, also serves as the principal investigator on the grant. He says that while heart failure affects all and is prevalent, the Hispanic population has not been included in many of these studies.

His research will look at the heart’s relationship with the aorta, the main artery that carries blood through the human body.