LAUSR

June 4, 2019 2597 James E. Muller, MD John O. Pastore, MD Amir Lerman, MD T he Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists warns that humanity faces 2 existential threats: global warming and nuclear destruction. Either could unleash unparalleled human suffering and possibly end civilization. Cardiologists, who are trained in prevention, have played a major role in addressing the second of these dual threats: the danger posed by nuclear weapons. During the Cold War, cooperative action by Soviet and American cardiologists helped reduce this threat, permitting subsequent generations to grow up without the fear of a nuclear disaster. But the nuclear threat, a permanent problem facing humanity, has risen again. Young cardiologists and their more senior colleagues are needed to meet this ongoing preventive challenge.