The second research atlas project to be undertaken by the Canadian Cardiovascular Outcomes Research Team (CCORT) is a comprehensive analysis of a number of important topics affecting the cardiovascular health and outcomes of Canadians. Written by a multidisciplinary team of Canada’s leading outcomes researchers, the atlas chapters will evaluate temporal changes, and regional and inter-provincial variations in patterns of cardiac care. The focus for this second atlas will be on data from 2000 onward.