Despite increasing evidence that biomedical and lifestyle factors account for
rather small proportions of population variance in incidence of cardiovascular
disease (CVD), the medical and public health communities remain wedded  to
biomedical and lifestyle models of cause and prevention. The Report



"Inequality
Is Bad for Our Hearts: Why Low Income and Social Exclusion Are Major Causes of
Heart Disease in Canada"  brings together the latest evidence of the strong role
low income plays in the development of CVD.  Income effects are seen as
manifesting themselves through processes of material deprivation, excessive
psychosocial stress, and adoption of unhealthy behaviours. Reasons for the
increasing incidence of low income among Canadians are outlined and policy
solutions offered. The report was commissioned by the North Heart Health Network
and written by Dennis Raphael of York University ([log in to unmask]).  It is
being released and posted at http://www.yorku.ca/wellness/heart.pdf on November
1, 2001.