HAVE A HEART
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Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in women, yet awareness, early detection, and education continue to lag behind the science. In this powerful discussion, leading experts explore the evolving landscape of women’s cardiovascular health, environmental risk factors, prevention strategies, and the emerging research shaping how we understand heart disease today. This talk highlights the urgent need to rethink traditional models of cardiovascular risk by incorporating modern insights into environmental toxins, lifestyle factors, systemic influences, and personalized care. From wildfire smoke and air pollution to endocrine disruptors, microplastics, and emerging exposomics research, the conversation underscores how external exposures may influence cardiovascular outcomes, especially for women. Whether you are a medical professional, cardiovascular patient, caregiver, or someone interested in preventative health, this video provides actionable insights into: • The hidden drivers of cardiovascular disease risk in women • How environmental toxins and air quality impact heart health • New research trends in preventive cardiology and exposomics • Early warning signs and strategies for proactive risk reduction • The intersection of public health, environmental awareness, and cardiovascular prevention • Why education remains one of the most powerful tools for saving lives This presentation is part of the ongoing educational programming from Have a Heart, Save a Heart, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women through accessible cardiovascular education, community engagement, and research-driven awareness initiatives. Our mission is rooted in a simple but urgent truth: 1 in 3 women will die from cardiovascular disease. Through initiatives like the Women’s Heart Symposium, the 33% Pledge, and HeartSource Resources, we aim to bridge the gap between clinical knowledge and real-world empowerment. If you found this conversation valuable: ❤️ Subscribe for more expert-led discussions on women’s heart health ❤️ Like and share to help raise awareness and save lives ❤️ Comment below with your questions or insights ❤️ Learn more about our programs and upcoming events 👉 Support the 33% Pledge and help fund life-saving education: https://donorbox.org/the-33-percent-pledge Keywords: women’s heart health, cardiovascular disease prevention, environmental toxins and heart disease, wildfire smoke health effects, exposomics cardiology, preventive cardiology education, women’s cardiovascular risk factors, heart disease awareness, public health cardiology, cardiovascular research, women’s health education, PFAS heart risk, microplastics health effects, inflammation and heart disease, heart disease prevention strategies. #WomensHeartHealth #CardiovascularHealth #HeartDiseasePrevention #PreventiveCardiology #EnvironmentalHealth #WomensHealth #HeartHealthEducation

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. But what if the risk factors we focus on are only part of the story? In this groundbreaking keynote from the 13th Annual Women’s Heart Symposium, renowned cardiologist Dr. Sanjay Rajagopalan challenges conventional cardiovascular risk models and introduces a transformative framework centered on environmental exposure, toxicology, and exposomics. From wildfire smoke and air pollution to PFAS, microplastics, endocrine disruptors, and chronic low-dose chemical exposure, this talk explores how cumulative environmental factors silently shape cardiovascular outcomes across a woman’s lifespan. Dr. Rajagopalan explains how pollutants trigger inflammation, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, plaque instability, arrhythmias, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease and why emerging data suggests that certain environmental exposures may be more cardiotoxic than previously understood. This keynote moves beyond cholesterol and blood pressure alone to examine lifetime exposure burden, gene-environment interactions, and the urgent need for a more holistic, systems-based approach to preventive cardiology. For clinicians, this session offers insight into integrating environmental risk assessment into patient counseling, screening, and prevention strategies. For patients and community members, it provides actionable awareness around reducing exposure, building resilience, and advocating for heart-healthy environments. Presented by Have a Heart, Save a Heart during Women’s Heart Month, this lecture titled "Toxic Exposures to Transformative Exposomics: Towards Holistic Frameworks to Understand Cardiovascular Health" reflects our mission to translate leading cardiovascular research into accessible education that empowers women, families, and medical professionals alike. Key Topics Covered: • Environmental toxins and cardiovascular disease • Exposomics and cumulative risk modeling • Wildfire smoke and PM2.5 cardiovascular mortality • PFAS and cholesterol dysregulation • Microplastics and vascular inflammation • Women’s heart health disparities • Preventive cardiology and risk mitigation • Public health, policy, and environmental justice About the Women’s Heart Symposium: The Women’s Heart Symposium is an annual convening of leading cardiologists, researchers, and public health experts focused on advancing women’s cardiovascular health through science, education, and community engagement. Learn more about upcoming events, the 33% Pledge, and HeartSource educational resources at Have a Heart, Save a Heart's website! If you care about women’s health, environmental health, preventive cardiology, public health policy, or the future of cardiovascular medicine, this is a conversation you cannot afford to miss. Subscribe for more expert lectures, patient education resources, and in-depth conversations on women’s heart disease prevention. #WomensHeartHealth #Cardiology #PreventiveCardiology #EnvironmentalToxins #Exposomics #WildfireSmoke #PFAS #Microplastics #HeartDiseasePrevention #EnvironmentalHealth #CardiovascularResearch #PublicHealth #HaveAHeartSaveAHeart #WomensHeartSymposium

In this lecture from the 13th Annual Women’s Heart Symposium, cardiologist Dr. Christiane Schaeffler explores the growing body of evidence linking chemical exposures, environmental pollutants, and chronic disease risk. Her talk examines how the modern environment is influencing cardiovascular health in ways that traditional medicine is only beginning to fully understand. Heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women, yet the factors driving cardiovascular risk are expanding beyond traditional markers such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and diet. Dr. Schaeffler’s presentation focuses on the intersection between environmental health and cardiovascular medicine, highlighting how substances found in everyday life may affect metabolic function, inflammation, and long-term heart health. Recorded live in Santa Monica, California, this presentation is part of the Women’s Heart Symposium 2026, an annual educational event hosted by Have a Heart, Save a Heart that brings together cardiologists, researchers, and health experts to translate emerging science into practical knowledge for both clinicians and the public. During the lecture, Dr. Schaeffler examines how modern exposures from industrial chemicals to pollutants (with a focus on water) and consumer products may contribute to systemic inflammation and cardiometabolic dysfunction. As the scientific field of exposomics continues to grow, researchers are increasingly able to track how lifelong environmental exposures interact with genetics and lifestyle to influence disease risk. This presentation is part of a broader symposium program investigating emerging cardiovascular threats including: • Microplastics and cardiovascular disease • PFAS “forever chemicals” and metabolic health • Wildfire smoke exposure and particulate pollution • Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and cardiovascular risk • The expanding role of environmental health in preventive cardiology By bridging environmental science with clinical medicine, the Women’s Heart Symposium aims to equip healthcare providers, patients, and communities with the knowledge needed to better protect long-term cardiovascular health. About the Speaker Dr. Christiane Schaeffler is a physician and cardiovascular health expert with Pacific Heart Institute in Santa Monica. About the Women’s Heart Symposium The Women’s Heart Symposium, hosted by Have a Heart, Save a Heart, is an annual gathering dedicated to advancing education, awareness, and prevention around women’s cardiovascular health. The event convenes leading physicians and researchers to share the latest insights into emerging risk factors, prevention strategies, and medical advances. Topics Covered in This Talk • Environmental toxins and heart disease risk • Chemical exposures and metabolic health • The science of exposomics • Environmental drivers of inflammation and chronic disease • Preventive cardiology and public health awareness #WomensHeartHealth #EnvironmentalHealth #HeartDiseasePrevention #PreventiveCardiology #Exposomics #MedicalEducation #HeartHealth

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women, yet many of the environmental factors influencing cardiovascular health remain poorly understood. In this presentation from the 13th Annual Women’s Heart Symposium, leading clinicians explore how modern environmental exposures are shaping heart health and what both patients and healthcare professionals need to know moving forward. This talk examines the growing evidence connecting environmental toxins, pollution, and everyday exposures to cardiovascular disease risk. As research continues to expand in the field of exposomics, scientists are discovering how factors such as air pollution, chemicals, plastics, and contaminants in our environment may influence inflammation, vascular health, and long-term cardiac outcomes. Recorded at the Women’s Heart Symposium 2026 in Santa Monica, this session is part of a broader educational program bringing together cardiologists, researchers, and clinicians to discuss emerging threats to cardiovascular health and strategies for prevention. The symposium focuses particularly on how environmental exposures uniquely affect women’s cardiovascular health, an area that has historically been under-studied despite heart disease remaining the number one killer of women worldwide. Throughout this discussion, the speaker explores the evolving science behind environmental cardiology and highlights practical steps individuals and communities can take to reduce exposure risks. From wildfire smoke and air pollution to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and microplastics, the modern environment presents new challenges that medicine is only beginning to fully understand. For healthcare providers, this conversation underscores the importance of broadening cardiovascular risk assessment beyond traditional factors such as cholesterol and blood pressure. For patients and the general public, it provides accessible insights into how environmental health and heart health are deeply interconnected. This lecture is part of a full day of programming featuring leading experts discussing topics such as: • Microplastics and cardiovascular disease • PFAS “forever chemicals” and metabolic health • Wildfire smoke exposure and heart risk • Environmental pollution and vascular inflammation • Emerging research in exposomics and cardiology Together, these conversations aim to translate cutting-edge research into actionable knowledge that empowers patients, clinicians, and communities to better protect cardiovascular health.

What do organic food, pesticides, plastics, and everyday grocery choices have to do with your heart health? In this compelling presentation from the 13th Annual Women’s Heart Symposium, cardiologist Dr. Rigved Tadwalkar (Pacific Heart Institute) breaks down the surprising ways that environmental exposures and consumer habits can influence cardiovascular health. This talk explores the intersection of nutrition, environmental toxins, and heart disease prevention, helping viewers understand how everyday decisions may impact long-term health. Dr. Tadwalkar explains why the conversation around organic vs conventional foods is more complex than most people realize. While organic foods often contain lower pesticide residues, they are not pesticide-free, and some organic farming methods can introduce other exposures such as copper-based fungicides or heavy metals. He also highlights a key truth many patients overlook: “organic junk food is still junk food.” This session also dives into practical tools for reducing exposure to environmental toxins in your daily life. Dr. Tadwalkar discusses how smarter shopping strategies such as understanding the “Clean 15” and “Dirty Dozen” produce lists can help consumers prioritize which foods are worth buying organic and which ones may carry lower pesticide burdens when purchased conventionally. Throughout the talk, Dr. Tadwalkar emphasizes a patient-centered approach to cardiovascular prevention that goes beyond traditional risk factors. From microplastics and food packaging to pesticides and dietary patterns, the modern environment is shaping heart health in ways medicine is only beginning to fully understand. This lecture was recorded during the Women’s Heart Symposium 2026, a one-day educational event bringing together leading cardiologists and researchers to explore the emerging science around environmental toxins, pollution, and cardiovascular disease, including topics such as PFAS “forever chemicals,” wildfire smoke exposure, microplastics, and endocrine disruptors. Key Topics Covered Organic vs conventional foods and pesticide exposure The “Clean 15” and “Dirty Dozen” produce lists Environmental toxins and cardiovascular disease Nutrition myths and heart health How food systems and consumer habits influence long-term health About the Women’s Heart Symposium The Women’s Heart Symposium is an annual educational event now in its 13th year, focused on advancing awareness, prevention, and research in women’s cardiovascular health, bringing together clinicians, researchers, and community advocates for a full day of talks, panels, and evidence-based discussion. Subscribe for more conversations on: Women’s cardiovascular health Environmental health and toxins Preventive cardiology Lifestyle medicine and heart disease prevention

What does environmental injustice have to do with heart disease? In this powerful presentation from the 13th Annual Women’s Heart Symposium, cardiologist and public health expert Dr. Francesca Cazzulino examines how inequitable environmental exposures are shaping cardiovascular health outcomes, particularly in historically marginalized and underserved communities. While heart disease is widely recognized as the leading cause of death in women, this talk highlights how where people live, work, and breathe can dramatically influence cardiovascular risk. The lecture explores the concept of environmental injustice, the reality that certain communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental hazards such as industrial pollution, contaminated water, poor air quality, and toxic chemicals. These exposures are not evenly distributed across society. Instead, they often affect low-income neighborhoods, immigrant communities, and communities of color, creating an additional and often invisible layer of cardiovascular risk. Drawing on emerging research in environmental cardiology and public health, the presentation explains how chronic exposure to pollutants and toxins can contribute to biological pathways that drive heart disease, including: • Inflammation and vascular damage caused by air pollution and particulate matter • Metabolic disruption linked to endocrine-disrupting chemicals • Increased cardiovascular stress associated with long-term environmental exposures • Compounded health risks when environmental hazards intersect with social and economic inequities The talk also emphasizes that environmental injustice is not only a public health issue but also a cardiovascular health issue. By understanding how structural inequities shape exposure patterns, clinicians and policymakers can begin to address one of the less visible drivers of cardiovascular disease disparities. Recorded live in Santa Monica, California, this lecture is part of the Women’s Heart Symposium 2026, an annual educational event hosted by Have a Heart, Save a Heart in collaboration with leading cardiologists and researchers. The symposium focuses on translating emerging research into practical insights that empower physicians, patients, and communities to better protect heart health. This year’s program explores several emerging environmental factors influencing cardiovascular disease, including: • Environmental injustice and cardiovascular disparities • Air pollution and heart disease risk • Microplastics and emerging cardiovascular research • PFAS “forever chemicals” and metabolic health • Wildfire smoke and particulate exposure By connecting environmental science, social determinants of health, and cardiovascular medicine, the Women’s Heart Symposium aims to broaden the conversation around prevention and highlight how systemic environmental inequities can translate into real health consequences. About the Women’s Heart Symposium The Women’s Heart Symposium, produced by Have a Heart, Save a Heart, is an annual educational gathering dedicated to advancing awareness, prevention, and research around women’s cardiovascular health. The event brings together physicians, scientists, and community leaders to explore emerging risk factors and solutions that can improve heart health outcomes for women. Topics Discussed in This Talk • Environmental injustice and cardiovascular health disparities • Structural drivers of toxic exposure • Air pollution and vascular inflammation • Environmental cardiology and public health • Preventive strategies and policy awareness #EnvironmentalJustice #WomensHeartHealth #HeartDiseasePrevention #EnvironmentalHealth #HealthEquity #PreventiveCardiology #HeartHealth