title: Cardiovascular health in migrants: current status and issues for prevention. A collaborative multidisciplinary task force report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review information on cardiovascular health and migration, to stress the attention of researchers that much needs to be done in the collection of sound data in Italy and to allow policy makers identifying this issue as an important public health concern.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In Italy, the rate of immigrants in the total number of residents increased from 2.5% in 1990 to 7.4% in 2010, and currently exceeds 10% in regions such as Lombardia, Emilia Romagna and Toscana.
  
  
  METHODS
  A consensus statement was developed by approaching relevant Italian national scientific societies involved in cardiovascular prevention. Task force members were identified by the president and/or the boards of each relevant scientific society or working group, as appropriate. To obtain a widespread consensus, drafts were merged and distributed to the scientific societies for local evaluation and revision by as many experts as possible. The ensuing final draft was finally approved by scientific societies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In several western European countries, the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome was found to be higher among immigrants than in the native population. Although migrants are often initially healthier than non-migrant populations in their host countries, genetic factors, and changing environments with lifestyle changes, social exclusion and insufficient medical control may expose them to health challenges. Cultural reasons may also hamper both the dissemination of prevention strategies and migrant communication with healthcare providers. However, great diversity exists across and within different groups of migrants, making generalizations very difficult and many countries do not collect registry or survey data for migrant's health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the present economic context, the European Union is placing great attention to improve data collection for migrant health and to support the implementation of specific prevention policies aimed at limiting the future burden of cardiovascular and renal disease, and the consequent load for health systems. Wider initiatives on the topic are awaited in Italy.
authors.affiliation: aDepartment of Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, University of Florence, Florence bDepartment of Medicina Interna, Nefrologia e Dialisi, Ospedali Riuniti di Livorno, Livorno cDepartment of Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, S.Orsola-Malpighi University Hospital, Bologna dDepartment of Malattie Cardiovascolari, University of Siena, Siena eDepartment of Nephrology, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy fInstitute d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain gDepartment of Emergenza e dei trapianti d'Organo DETO, Sezione di Malattie dell'Apparato Cardiovascolare, University of Bari, Bari hDepartment of Scienze Cardiovascolari, Respiratorie, Geriatriche e Nefrologiche, University 'La Sapienza', Rome iAS Department of Cardiology, Brindisi District jDepartment of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia kDivision of Cardiology, Dipartimanto di Medicina Interna, Malattie Cardiovascolari e Nefrourologiche, University of Palermo, Palermo lDepartment of Medicina Sperimentale e Clinica, University of Florence, Florence mDivision of Cardiology, ASL BR, Brindisi nUOD Telemedicina, Dipartimento Cardiovascolare, A.O.San Camillo-Forlanini, Roma oDivision of Cardiology, Department of Fisiopatologia Clinica - Sezione di Endocrinologia, University of Florence, Florence pDivision of Cardiology, AOU Sassari, Sassari qDepartment of Emergenza e dei trapianti d'Organo DETO, Sezione di Malattie dell'Apparato Cardiovascolare, University of Bari, Bari rDepartment of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Federico II University, Naples sDivision of Cardiology, Department of Medicina Clinica e Molecolare, Facoltà di Medicina e Psicologia Università di Roma 'Sapienza' - Azienda Ospedaliera Sant'Andrea, and IRCCS Neuromed, Rome tDepartment Cardio Toracico e Vascolare, University of Pisa, Pisa uDepartment of Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Modesti
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Borghi
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cameli
authors.forename: Giovambattista
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Capasso
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceriello
authors.forename: Marco Matteo
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ciccone
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Germanò
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maiello
authors.forename: Maria Lorenza
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Muiesan
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Novo
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Padeletti
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Palmiero
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pillon
authors.forename: Carlo Maria
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rotella
authors.forename: Pier Sergio
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Saba
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scicchitano
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Trimarco
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volpe
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pedrinelli
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Biase
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000208:ethnology; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000208:ethnology; D014171:Transients and Migrants / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*