Research with Arctic peoples: unique research opportunities in heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders. Working group summary and recommendations.
Arctic peoples are spread over eight countries and comprise 3.74 million residents, of whom 9% are indigenous. The Arctic countries include Canada, Finland, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States. Although Arctic peoples are very diverse, there are a variety of environmental and health issues that are unique to the Arctic regions, and research exploring these issues offers significant opportunities, as well as challenges. On July 28-29, 2004, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research co-sponsored a working group entitled "Research with Arctic Peoples: Unique Research Opportunities in Heart, Lung, Blood and Sleep Disorders". The meeting was international in scope with investigators from Greenland, Iceland and Russia, as well as Canada and the United States. Multiple health agencies from Canada and the United States sent representatives. Also attending were representatives from the International Union for Circumpolar Health (IUCH) and the National Indian Health Board. The working group developed a set of ten recommendations related to research opportunities in heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders; obstacles and solutions to research implementation; and ways to facilitate international comparisons. These recommendations are expected to serve as an agenda for future research.
Smith
H Sally
HS
National Indian Health Board, Washington DC, USA.
Bjerregaard
Peter
P
Chan
Hing Man
HM
Corriveau
André
A
Ebbesson
Sven O E
SO
Etzel
Ruth A
RA
Fabsitz
Richard R
RR
Hakonarson
Hakon
H
Hild
Carl
C
Nobmann
Elizabeth D
ED
Reading
Jeff
J
Tereshchenko
Larissa
L
Young
T Kue
TK
Howard
Barbara V
BV
D001110:Arctic Regions; D006126:Group Processes; D006331:Heart Diseases; D006402:Hematologic Diseases; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases; D044382:Population Groups; D012106:Research; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders