Coronary heart disease (CHD) involves blockages in the blood vessels that bring blood to the heart. When severe, these blockages can lead to a heart attack. Currently, doctors estimate a patient's risk for CHD by examining traditional risk factors, such as cholesterol levels, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking status, and age. However, some people who have no traditional risk factors develop CHD, and others who have multiple risk factors do not. Researchers wonder whether adding additional factors would improve the ability to estimate a person's chances of developing disease and more effectively treat them to lower risk. Sometimes doctors call these additional risk factors “nontraditional” risk factors.