Welcome back to the Today's woman show.
I am now here with Doctor Rachel Keith Co,
lead of the heel study and associate
Professor of medicine at University of
Louisville as well as Director of Human
Services at the Environmental Institute.
This was one of our March stories
that was extremely intriguing to me.
Can you share with us a little bit
about the heal program? Yes, so it
is a clinical study.
So when you think of a clinical
study you think of people getting a
medicine to help them with something.
But we are giving an entire
community trees to help with
cardiometabolic disease.
So what does that mean?
That means things like diabetes,
heart attacks, high blood pressure.
And so we're really trying to
study how the environment impacts
health and how it impacts the
health of an entire community.
Wait a minute. So are you telling me
that trees, just trees can change
the health outcomes of a community?
Yes, so trees alone can do a lot of things,
and what we don't know is
exactly how they're doing it.
So there's been a lot of epidemiological
studies so they take other studies
that were to look at why heart
disease existed and started looking
at where people lived and noticed
that green spaces were better.
So everyone in research has
their favorite thing, right?
So some people think it's
'cause it reduces air pollution.
Some people thinks it reduces stress.
I think the trees give off these
fantastic chemicals when they talk
to each other 'cause no one knows.
Trees talk to each other and have
these great communication pathways.
So we are learning what it is.
Trees
are like women.
Is that what you're trying to?
OK, I got you sis.
So we need to understand that.
So let me ask you this question.
One of the number one
killers in black and brown
communities is heart disease.
So understanding that
trees can help reduce that.
What sort of impact do you think this
is going to have on HealthEquity?
So it is huge
for HealthEquity there's two things about
black and brown communities, right?
A lot of times they have been
marginalized to areas where there's
high levels of pollution where
there be roadways or chemical
industries around those areas, right?
You know, redlining did that a
long time ago and communities are
still a largely in those areas so.
And then also it can be a
very urban population,
so we are trying to create that blueprint for
areas to understand how to do trees right?
Because we don't know that yet.
So do we need to do they need to be on
expressways buffering that pollution?
Can they absorb some of the chemicals that
are in the air surrounding these industries?
That that that do have
higher levels of emissions?
Or do we need them more in residential
plots where people can get those
aesthetic or those chemical
benefits of the trees themselves?
So we are trying to create a blueprint?
And then also take the onus
off that individual.
Again, not be told well,
you have to get out there and workout
more or you need to take another pill
that you have to pay for, but give it
back to the communities and the areas.
And can we build better?
Can we plan better?
Can we revive areas that?
You know,
have suffered Healthwise?
That's incredible. What are some
of the challenges that you think
you're going to be up against?
Yeah, so challenges change.
Some of the challenges are in these
communities have other challenges
that are pressing on them right now,
like violence or opioid
addictions or things like that.
And then also science in general right now.
Post pandemic during pandemic,
you know people have questions
about how we do that.
And how transparent we are and what it means.
So kind of.
Being very transparent with the
community and pulling them into the
conversation and partnering with them
is is how we've tried to overcome that
data. Well, Doctor Rachel,
we see you sis.
Thank you for tackling a very,
very tough topic in our community.
Ladies and gentlemen,
you are tuning into the Today's
woman show talking about green.
We're going to be back after the break,
talking with Dee Dee with 502 him.