In recent years, the concept of apoptosis 1 has swept through the fields of biology and medicine, creating a cultlike following in many disciplines, including cardiovascular research. This editorial is written explicitly to update the readers of Circulation on this fascinating and rapidly expanding field. The focus is on the concept of apoptosis relevant to cardiovascular diseases. Not all of the research areas in apoptosis can be covered in great depth in this editorial. Interested readers should consult several other excellent reviews for details. 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11