The World Heart Federation (WHF) and the World Obesity Federation (WOF) have joined forces to highlight the importance of recognizing obesity as one of the main drivers of cardiovascular disease (CVD). To kick off the collaboration, a meeting of experts was convened in Paris during the European Society of Cardiology together with the World Congress of Cardiology, where it was emphasized that more cardiologists should be interested in obesity. The WHF expert group on CVD and obesity was formed late 2019 with incoming president of the WOF Professor John Wilding and Mayo Clinic cardiologist Professor Fransisco Lopez-Jimenez chosen as co-chairs.
WOF and WHF will work together to develop SCOPE (Strategic Centre for Obesity Professional Education) modules on CVD and obesity and will hold a SCOPE school in Chicago on 27 March 2020. The event is open to all WHF Members and is targeted towards healthcare professionals working in clinical practice who would like to advance their knowledge of the main drivers of CVD, including the obesity-related issues that patients with CVD may encounter.
Raising awareness of the cardiovascular consequences of obesity is not talked about enough and we are very happy to have the opportunity to highlight its importance.
WHF expert group on CVD and obesity members:
- Dr Ada Cuevas, Nutrition Department, Clinica Las Condes, Santiago (Chile)
- Dr Anna Fijałkowska, Institute of Mother and Child, Department of Cardiology (Poland)
- Professor Carel Le Roux, University College Dublin (Ireland)
- Professor Emanuele Di Angelantonio, University of Cambridge (UK)
- Professor Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, Mayo Clinic (USA) – Co-chair
- Professor Gary Wittert, University of Adelaide (Australia)
- Dr Harold Bays, Louisville Metabolic and Atherosclerosis Research Center (USA)
- Professor Jaime Miranda, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima (Peru)
- Professor John Wilding, University of Liverpool (UK) – Co-chair
- Dr Laura Hayman, University Of Massachusetts – Boston (USA)
- Dr Livia Machado, Universidad Simón Bolívar (Venezuela)
- Prof Mariana Monteiro, University of Porto (Portugal)
- Dr Marie France Chan Sun, University of Mauritius (Mauritius)
- Dr Natalie Koh Si Ya, National Heart Centre Singapore (Singapore)
- Professor Naveen Sattar, University of Glasgow (UK)
- Ms Nikki Tibbs, Patient Representative
- Professor Rachel Batterham, University College London (UK)
- Dr Sadiya Sana Khan, Northwestern University (USA)
- Dr Shifalika Goenka, Public Health Foundation of India (India)
- Dr Wael Almahmeed, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates)
Purposes of the initiative include:
- Raising awareness of the cardiovascular consequences of obesity
- Creating a standardised education program in prevention, management and treatment of obesity, CVD and type 2 diabetes
- Synthesizing the existing evidence on CVD and obesity
- Highlighting the evidence-based options for treatment of patients with obesity.
- Addressing weight stigma among healthcare providers
- Identifying key issues in the obesity/ cardiovascular disease co-morbidity
- Identify suitable treatment options for patients presenting with Obesity and CVD and initiate effective conversations with patients
