Methods for cardiovascular disease assessment in an individual comprise detecting the presence or absence of a fragment encoding a polymorphic alpha-2C (α2C DEL322-325) adrenergic receptor in a sample from an individual; and detecting the presence or absence of a fragment encoding a polymorphic beta-1 adrenergic receptor (β1Arg389) in a sample from the individual. Methods for delaying development of cardiovascular disease in an individual, methods for delaying progression or early death associated with cardiovascular disease in an individual, methods of genetic counseling for cardiovascular disease in an individual are also provided.