Research Topic/Theme: Equity, Diversity, Justice and Belonging, Health Systems, Policy and Guidelines, Indigenous Health

Health Areas: Atrial fibrillation/thromboembolism, Cardiomyopathy, Cardiovascular rehabilitation, Coronary artery diseases, Heart failure, Patient engagement, Pregnancy/menopause, SCAD, Systemic patient care, Valvular heart diseases

The Canadian Network of Networks to Reduce Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality in Pregnancy

November 1, 2030

CaNCaM-Preg is a national, interdisciplinary initiative focused on reducing preventable cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with pregnancy. Through collaboration across institutions, disciplines, and provinces, and grounded in the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), CaNCaM-Preg seeks to understand the cardiovascular risks associated with pregnancy and address systemic disparities in outcomes that disproportionately affect minoritized, immigrant, and Indigenous populations.
CaNCaM-Preg is led by experts in cardio-obstetrics, health equity, and patient-centered research. The team includes national and provincial leads, content theme experts, and individuals with lived experience. The initiative builds on CIHR-funded feasibility work and an existing Knowledge Mobilization Hub that supports education, implementation, and community engagement.
By uniting interdisciplinary knowledge with real-world data, CaNCaM-Preg aims to reduce pregnancy-related cardiovascular events and serve as a national platform for ongoing research, care improvement, and health equity.

Location

Online

Principal Investigator

Dr. Rohan D'Souza

McMaster University

Compensation

Yes

to be determined

Research Alignment

Recognize and understand that there are sex-specific, and sex-“more common” cardiovascular risk factors and manifestations of CVD.

Include multidisciplinary, collaborative didactic and clinical practice training specifically addressing sex and gender within core curricula at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and continuous medical education, for all healthcare providers.

Develop and implement CVD risk prediction tools that include sex, gender, race and ethnicity-specific components.

Develop a national health systems strategy for incorporating postpartum cardiovascular care into existing prevention care models

Continue advocacy campaigns to increase awareness of CVD in women, but ensure that they utilize inclusive and culturally-sensitive materials to reach marginalized individuals in vulnerable communities.

Utilize sex-specific algorithms, including sex-specific thresholds for high-sensitivity troponin analysis, to diagnose ACS in women presenting with acute chest pain symptoms.

Utilize resources of specialized Heart Centres for Women for higher level acuity cases, where available, and broaden their availability.

Require the inclusion of sex/gender AND racialization considerations in research protocol methodology, results analysis, and discussion, for all levels of research, including registries.

Increase the representation of female patients and female investigators in CVD clinical trials

Develop Canadian CVD guidelines with sex- and gender-specific recommendations, whenever possible