Marie Maynard Daly, the Biochemist Against America's Deadliest Disease
1 in every 5 people die of heart disease in America each year, about 695,000, and an estimated 17.9 million people die globally. In 2022 $2,758 million was spent in cardiovascular research, and most of that research has one woman to thank, Marie Maynard Daly.
Marie Maynard Daly (1921 - 2003) was a pioneering African American biochemist whose groundbreaking research on hypertension, cholesterol metabolism, and arterial health laid the foundation for many modern treatments of heart disease. Born in 1921 in Queens, New York, Daly was driven by an early love for science, which led her to become the first Black woman in the United States to earn a PhD in chemistry in 1947 from Columbia University. Her work significantly advanced our understanding of how diet and genetics contribute to cardiovascular disease, influencing medical approaches to prevention and treatment.
Cholesterol, Hypertension, and Heart Disease
Daly's most influential research focused on the relationship between hypertension (high blood pressure) and atherosclerosis (the hardening of arteries), both major risk factors for heart disease. During her time at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, she conducted studies that demonstrated how high blood pressure could lead to structural damage in blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. This work provided crucial insights into the mechanisms of cardiovascular disease and reinforced the importance of blood pressure management in heart health.
One of Daly’s key findings was that high levels of cholesterol and hypertension contribute to arterial damage. She explored how dietary factors, particularly excessive salt intake, could elevate blood pressure and contribute to arterial stiffness. Her work supported later recommendations for low-sodium diets as a preventive measure against hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Today, these insights are fundamental to dietary guidelines, and many modern heart disease prevention programs emphasize salt reduction as a key strategy.
Influence on Modern Heart Disease Treatment
Daly’s research helped shape the medical community’s approach to treating and preventing heart disease in several ways:
- Hypertension Management – Her work highlighted the role of high blood pressure in damaging arteries, reinforcing the need for medications like ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers to control hypertension.
- Dietary Recommendations – Her findings on the impact of cholesterol and salt intake contributed to dietary guidelines that promote heart-healthy eating habits, such as the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet.
- Preventative Medicine – Daly’s research emphasized early intervention, which is now a standard approach in cardiology, helping to prevent heart disease before it becomes severe.
Legacy and Continued Impact
Despite working in an era when both racial and gender discrimination were significant barriers, Daly’s contributions paved the way for future generations of scientists, particularly women and minorities in STEM. Her work remains a cornerstone of cardiovascular research, with modern studies continuing to build on her findings. The emphasis on managing blood pressure and cholesterol as primary risk factors for heart disease can be traced back to her pioneering work, influencing everything from clinical guidelines to public health policies.
Daly’s legacy is not just in her discoveries but also in the doors she opened for others in science. In her later career Daly focused on the future generations by supporting junior researchers like she had been supported in her early career. She issued national recommendations for the professional advancement of minority women in STEM and developed programs to increase minority students enrollment across graduate STEM programs in New York. In 1988 she established the Ivan C. and Helen H. Daly Scholarship at Queens College to support students in the physical sciences who "demonstrated interest in issues related to minorities in science or African American studies or history."
America vs Heart Disease
America has been losing the battle to heart disease for the past 100 years, with it being the leading cause of death in adults for that long. When polled, over 51% of Americans did not think that heart disease was the leading cause of death in the country. It is thanks to the research done by many like Daly that we know so much about the disease. For more information see the fantastic resource heart.org
More Resources:
Here are some great resources to learn more about Dr Daly: