An iceberg no more: rising waters of chronic vascular disease.

The iceberg once seemed the perfect image to represent the global dilemma of vascular diseases: the apex of heart disease, stroke and chronic kidney disease was visible over the horizon's edge, with the bloated and often under-diagnosed epidemics of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and common risk factors lurking in the depths below. The iceberg also floated in colder waters, a handy metaphor for the chronic disease pattern that was sweeping across the industrialized north.