Report calls for more interdisciplinary research

In a much anticipated report, a national health task force has recognized that collaborations between behavioral and medical researchers will provide a better understanding of disease.

The report was prepared for the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) by its Task Force on Behavioral Research in Cardiovascular, Lung and Blood Health and Disease. Its purpose is to serve as a guide for the institute?s behavioral research portfolio.

The task force, chaired by psychologist Stephen Manuck, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh, organized the report around two major themes:

? A discussion of how behavioral research has helped researchers better understand disease risk and progression, including the extent to which behavioral factors influence heart, lung and blood disease.

? A review of applied behavioral research on interventions that prevent or manage disease, including a discussion of how people can reduce their risk of disease by modifying their behavior and psychosocial environments.

The report details research accomplishments of behavioral research on heart, lung and blood diseases and sleep disorders in areas such as lifestyle risk factors, psychosocial risk factors and quality of life. And it includes 12 recommendations for future behavioral research.

The report?s top recommendation is that NHLBI 'foster interdisciplinary research teams.' The most effective research on the behavioral dimensions of disease comes from interdisciplinary teams, the report says. And NHLBI should strengthen its strategies for fostering such collaborations.

Other recommendations include:

? Promote investigation of previously understudied populations.

? Develop interventions to improve patients? adherence to treatment.

? Incorporate behavioral science into existing epidemiological and clinical studies.

? Develop efficient preventive interventions for reducing risk for disease.

You can download copies of the report from the Internet at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi/sciinf/taskforc.htm.

?Beth Azar