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Tuesday, 29 September 2020, 6:04 amPress Release: The Heart Foundation

TheHeart Foundation today announced $4.2 million dollars offunding for heart research and specialist training for NewZealand cardiologists, bringing the total awarded by thecharity since its formation in 1968, to more than $78million dollars.

We have a long and proud record ofresearch investment, which has improved the heart health ofall New Zealanders for more than 50 years, but we still havemuch more work to do, says Heart Foundation MedicalDirector, Dr Gerry Devlin.

Heart disease is NewZealands single biggest killer. With our ongoingcommitment to supporting research, we can keep saving livesand improve the quality of life for the 170,000 NewZealanders living with heart disease.

This year theHeartFoundation has awarded research grants across thebench-to-bedside spectrum, including new treatments,structural interventions and prevention.

The HeartFoundation is supporting so much exciting research in 2020.Research that will make a real difference to so manyKiwis, says Dr Devlin.

The Heart Foundation isproud to support leaders across all areas of medicine inAotearoa, such as neonatal paediatrician Dr Sarah Harris,whose work will investigate the link between prematurebabies and heart disease.

Emerging evidence showsadults who were born prematurely, and mothers who give birthto a premature baby, are at increased risk of cardiovasculardisease but neither are included in our national guidelinesfor cardiovascular risk screening, says DrHarris.

The birth of a premature baby may be anopportunity to review cardiovascular risk for both motherand baby and to initiate an earlier programme of risksurveillance, health education and preventative care thatcould have intergenerationalbenefit.

This year a new grant tosupport nurses in the field of cardiology has also beenintroduced.

The new Nurse PractitionerTraining Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease, has beenawarded to Edel Schick, enabling her to develop patienteducation and focus on disease prevention in thecommunity.

The Heart Foundation is especially proud tomake these announcements on WorldHeart Day and, with the support of SkyCity, to be ableto light Aucklands Sky Tower red this evening, joiningwith our global heart community and paying tribute to allwho have lost a loved one to heart disease.

Wevecome a long way, with a 75 per cent reduction in deaths fromheart disease since we started our work. But heart diseasestill claims more than 6,000 lives in New Zealand each yearand one preventable death is one too many, says DrDevlin.

The 2020 awards include 6 ProjectGrants, 2 Overseas Training and Research Fellowships, 6Research Fellowships, 2 Mori Cardiovascular ResearchFellowships, 4 Small Project Grants and 3 SummerStudentships.

* Heart disease is New Zealands singlebiggest killer, claiming the lives of more than 6,700 NewZealanders every year thats one person every 90minutes.

* More than 170,000 New Zealanders arecurrently living with heart disease.

* The HeartFoundation funds cutting-edge research and specialisttraining for cardiologists, while our education andprevention programmes address heart disease head-on in thecommunity.

* The Heart Foundation is NewZealands heart charity that is leading the fight againstheart disease.

* As a charity we rely heavily onthe generosity of everyday Kiwis to support our life-savingwork.

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Original post:
Heart Foundation Research Grants Top $78 Million On World Heart Day - Scoop.co.nz

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