Task Force on Behavioral Research in Cardiovascular, Lung, and Blood Health and Disease.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) has a longstanding appreciation of the value of behavioral research. From the earliest days, when the concept of “coronary prone” behavior was introduced, to the growing recognition of the need for strategies to encourage healthpromoting behaviors and lifestyles, to more recent efforts to incorporate health-related quality of life measures into our clinical studies, behavioral research has contributed much to our understanding of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although still in its infancy, the application of this discipline to lung and blood diseases, sleep disorders, and transfusion medicine issues clearly offers much promise for advances in treatment and prevention. Acknowledging that many opportunities lie in biobehavioral research, in November 1995 the NHLBI convened the Task Force on Behavioral Research in Cardiovascular, Lung, and Blood Health and Disease to chart a course for future research efforts. Composed of national experts, it was charged to review the state of knowledge in biobehavioral research in cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders over the past 5 years; identify research opportunities; and develop a comprehensive plan, including scientific priorities, for NHLBI support of research on health and behavior for the next several years. During a series of meetings that spanned nearly 2 years, the task force worked to develop a report of its findings and conclusions. The report provides a detailed summary of accomplishments to date, highlights new scientific opportunities, and identifies specific recommendations for future research. The full text, with graphics, is available on the NHLBI Web site at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/nhlbi/sciinf/taskforc.htm. The synopsis that follows was excerpted from the executive summary of the task force report. The Institute is very pleased to have this task force report to guide its activities with respect to research on health and behavior. We are grateful to the task force chair, Dr Stephen Manuck; the subgroup chairs, Drs David Krantz and Margaret Chesney; and the task force members for their valuable contribution to this important and timely endeavor.