Grant: Meetings Planning & Dissemination Grant: Reproductive and Child Health

There is an increasing prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRs) in Canadian women under age fifty; improved screening and intervention strategies are urgently needed. Pregnancy has been likened to a stress test such that the development of complications identifies women who are at risk of premature CVD and death, the physiologic basis for which is not well understood. This provides an ideal window of opportunity whereby CVR identification and intervention postpartum could be efficiently carried out for health preservation and disease prevention in conjunction with pregnancy and postpartum care for the majority of Canadian women. The early identification of CVRs and subsequent implementation of innovative diagnostic and intervention strategies can prevent long-term cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in these women; 80% of all CVD is preventable which is significant considering that CVD has an annual cost in Canada of more than $22 billion. The proposed meeting focuses on the "CIHR Maternal Health Workshop Report" strategic research priority "The relationship between pregnancy and its complications and subsequent maternal physical health (biological programming, chronic disease)". As identified, this strategic priority requires multi-disciplinary involvement stimulating cross-pillar collaborations; the group assembled will integrate the research pillars in a transdisciplinary model. This meeting will involve setting research priorities, specific research questions, identifying national and international researchers and the development of a Letter-of-Intent for the expected RFA. Ultimately, the end result will be clinical guideline development incorporating intervention strategies and knowledge translation to be implemented antepartum and postpartum that would preserve and improve the health of the Canadian women.