Despite favorable trends in mortality over the past several decades, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death and a major cause of disability in the United States. The prospects for continued success in the prevention and control of CVD are uncertain. Recent adverse trends in the prevalence and incidence of obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and high blood pressure support the contention that trends in CVD mortality may stabilize and even reverse in the near future. Hence, an appropriate supply of health care professionals trained in the epidemiology and prevention of CVD will be needed for the foreseeable future to enable our country to continue to address the public health and medical challenges posed by epidemic CVD and to take on the new endeavor of improving cardiovascular health (CVH). In addition to traditional approaches to epidemiology and prevention, newer areas of investigation and application have imposed new requirements and opened new opportunities for effective action for the cadre of health professionals who are committed to this endeavor. The proposed Seminar has been addressing the need for multi-disciplinary, inter-disciplinary, translational research training for 39 years with an evolving curriculum. Over 1,070 fellows, including ~60% MDs and ~40% post-doctoral researchers in other fields, have benefited from this program. Many have become leaders in the field of CVH population sciences. The continuing goal of the Seminar is to provide an intensive introduction to the epidemiology and prevention of CVD, for interested and qualified health professionals who are planning research or academic careers, or anticipating responsibility for preventive programs, in this area. The following aims, continuing from previous years, must be fulfilled in order to assure the conduct of a successful Seminar over the next year: 1. To continue to attract a faculty with both the knowledge of relevant content and the personal teaching skills required for the effective conduct of this program, with a continuing emphasis on the recruitment of minority and female faculty members (currently comprising over 50% of the faculty); 2. To continue the development of program content to maintain its currency and relevance to the training needs of professionals with the stated career interests, with a focus on newer areas of competency; 3. To continue to disseminate information about this program to appropriate target groups, including the maintenance of the current effective strategies for reaching minority and female candidates;and 4. To continue to broaden the recruitment of participants, through the structure of the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Councils and additional means.
Despite favorable trends in mortality over the past several decades, cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death and a major cause of disability in the United States. The prospects for continued success in the prevention and control of CVD are uncertain. An appropriate supply of health care professionals trained in the epidemiology and prevention of CVD will be needed for the foreseeable future to enable our country to continue to address the public health and medical challenges posed by epidemic CVD and to take on the new endeavor of improving cardiovascular health. The continuing goal of the Seminar is to provide an intensive introduction to the epidemiology and prevention of CVD, for interested and qualified health professionals who are planning research or academic careers, or anticipating responsibility for preventive programs, in this area. (End of Abstract)
