Training in Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Prevention: A 50-Year Journey From Makarska to Goa

The first International Ten-Day Teaching Seminar on Cardiovascular Epidemiology and Prevention was held in Makarska, in the former Yugoslavia in August 1968. The goals of the Seminar were to help bridge the gap between cardiology and cardiovascular epidemiology, promote international collaboration, and provide training in cardiovascular epidemiology and prevention. The 50th Seminar took place in Goa, India in June 2018. This perspective article provides an overview of the major accomplishments of the Seminar as well as its persisting challenges. It also addresses unique opportunities as the Seminar embarks on the next phase of international training seminars in cardiovascular epidemiology and prevention. In particular, this article highlights strategies that offer the opportunity to significantly increase the number of Seminar participants annually, especially from low- and middle-income countries and Small Island Developing States where the burden and trend in cardiovascular diseases and cardiometabolic risk factors pose the greatest concerns. It also discusses the importance of using big data for descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics at the local level, and the need to leverage information technology and digital platforms to create greater access to and sharing of lessons learned. The article also highlights the opportunity to embrace active dissemination and implementation research and the science of health care delivery as important components of training in cardiovascular disease epidemiology and prevention.