Heart-to-Heart is a new series of debates created and hosted by the World Heart Federation. They bring together expert voices from different sectors and disciplines around the world.
As the leader of the global heart community, we want to open a conversation about changing our ways as societies and individuals to beat cardiovascular disease. And as CVD continues to be the biggest cause of death on the planet, it’s the world’s most urgent conversation to have.
For many people, preventing CVD comes down to behaviour change. Yet, there’s nothing harder than changing personal and societal behaviour, thereby realizing lasting change. Comprised of experts from a number of disciplines, the debates will seek to uncover insights into the triggers and barriers to behaviour change and how they are manifested across societies.
Heart to heart debates
28 September 2021, ahead of World Heart Day
Can digital help make every heart equal?
Over the past 18 months, COVID-19 has strained our health services, highlighting the need to find alternative ways to connect people to heart health. While digital tools such as telehealth have clear benefits, there is a risk that this rapid transformation in healthcare could exacerbate the existing inequity in access to healthcare. The panel will discuss the greatest opportunities and challenges for progress against cardiovascular disease in a more connected world.
Prof Fausto Pinto, President of World Heart Federation
Dr Ann Aerts, Head of Novartis Foundation
Prof. dr. Jeroen Bax, ESC Immediate Past-President, Director of non-invasive imaging and Director of the echo-lab at the Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
Trudie Lobban, Founder & CEO of Atrial Fibrillation Association (AF Association), Arrhythmia Alliance (A-A) and STARS (Syncope Trust And Reflex anoxic Seizures).
Dr Zina Ben Miled, Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Indiana Univ. Purdue Univ. Indianapolis
Arianne Alcorta, TV host and moderator, media trainer and university professor
11 March 2021, World Obesity Day
The Weight of Lockdown
Obesity is a major risk factor for developing CVD, particularly heart failure and coronary heart disease, and those with obesity have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The purpose of this discussion is to consider ways that we can further support and assist people living with obesity during and beyond the pandemic.
Dr Laura Cobb, Director of Nutrition Policy at Resolve to Save Lives
Dr Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, Chair, Division of Preventive Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, and Director of Research at the Dan Abraham Healthy Living Centre
Professor Jeff Colin, Professor of Global Health Policy, University of Edinburgh
Tasha Mhakayakora, Co-chair on the Youth Board at Bite Back 2030
16 November 2020, World Diabetes Day
Why Silos in Healthcare are Killing You
Diabetes patients are at higher risk of cardiovascular disease but are often unaware of that risk. This may be due to a lack of communication between different healthcare specialists who may treat a patient’s symptoms, but not necessarily put the patient in the picture early or often enough. The purpose of this discussion is to better understand the silos in healthcare and how to break them down.
Dr. Larry Sperling, founder and director of Preventive Cardiology, co-director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program.
Bianca Hemmingsen, Medical Officer at the World Health Organization (WHO).
Mark Riley-Pitt, clinical risk management specialist.
Alfred Voss, heart disease and type-2 diabetes patient advocate from Mended Hearts.
29 September 2020, World Heart Day
The World’s Most Urgent Heart To Heart
Experts in behavioural economics, consumer communications, cause campaigning and cardiovascular health share their insights and debate the ways we can make breakthroughs in individual and societal behaviour to help beat CVD, the leading cause of death on this planet.
Prof Karen Sliwa, Host, World Heart Federation President.
John Simpson, Moderator, BBC Journalist.
Rupen Desai, Leader of Behaviour Change.
Dr Michael Gibson, Cardiologist.
Dr Grainne Healy, Communications Expert.
Dr David Asch, Behavioural Economist.
