Exploring Research Opportunities at the Intersection of Planetary and Cardiovascular Health Virtual Workshop

This unique, initial NIH workshop on planetary and human health, will explore the research opportunities at the intersection of planetary and cardiovascular health. Climate change, increased urbanization, rapid growth of the world population, shifting land use patterns are examples of interdependent forces that impact planetary health. All can have adverse consequences on many aspects of human health including cardiovascular health and equity. Heart disease, the most important cardiovascular disease, is the leading cause of death for men and women and for most racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Preventing the deterioration of and improving planetary health provide new bidirectional opportunities to improve cardiovascular health and other health problems in the United States and globally. Social determinates of health influence who will be most affected by adverse changes in planetary health and who may benefit the least from some efforts to improve planetary and cardiovascular health. Many cardiovascular diseases are more preventable, and treatable, if equity is prioritized as a driving principle. Research can help us determine the adverse health impact of changes in planetary health, clarify the causal and the bidirectional relationship(s) between planetary and cardiovascular health. In addition, research can assess the beneficial and unintended adverse impact of health behavior and policies choices on cardiovascular and other health problems.

This workshop will host a transdisciplinary dialogue between experts from Planetary Health, Climate Change, Social Determinants of Health, Engineering, and Cardiovascular Health disciplines to discuss research gaps and opportunities to improve planetary and cardiovascular health. This workshop will strive to identify key scientific knowledge gaps, research methods and opportunities at the intersection of planetary and cardiovascular health. These workshop objectives will be facilitated by discussions covering a wide range of topics including: system thinking, environmental justice, infrastructural transformations, water systems, toxic exposures, urban design, and changes in transportation systems. These topics are interconnected and essential in the development of strategies to improve cardiovascular health and advance health equity. Research methods important to achieving a better understanding of planetary and cardiovascular health will be discussed such as leveraging big data, modeling, causal inference approaches, data tools for spatial indicators for healthy cities, and integrating health impact studies to inform policy options. There will be an interactive session on the first day of the workshop to illustrate how planetary systems and responses to policy changes can impact human health.

Key Objectives

1. Identify key scientific knowledge gaps, research methods and opportunities at the intersection of cardiovascular and planetary health.
2. Explore strategies to improve planetary and cardiovascular health and synergistically advance health equity.
3. Increase the scientific understanding of the bidirectional and interdependent relationship of planetary and cardiovascular health.

Key Questions

1. How does preventing the deterioration of and improving Planetary Health provide new opportunities to improve cardiovascular health, other health problems and advance equity in the United States and globally.
2. What are the important research opportunities that examine the adverse health impact of changes in planetary health, clarify the causal relationship between planetary and cardiovascular health, and assess the beneficial and unintended health impact of health behaviors and policies choices on cardiovascular and other health problems.
3. What research strategies and methods will lead to better understanding of planetary health and cardiovascular health such as leveraging big data, modeling, causal inference approaches, data tools for spatial indicators for healthy cities, and integrating health impact studies to inform policy options.

Agenda

View the agenda.

Program Booklet

View the program booklet.

Videocast

Day 1: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=53884
Day 2: https://videocast.nih.gov/watch=53886

Contacts

For programmatic questions, email Lawrence Fine at Lawrence.Fine@nih.gov. and Sujata Shanbhag at Sujata.Shanbhag@nih.gov

For logistical questions, email Brittney Villafana at Brittney.Villafana@nih.gov.

To request a reasonable accommodation to participate in this event, email the NHLBI Workshop Support Program at NHLBIWorkshopSupport@nih.gov with attention to ‘Brittney Villafana’.