The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand (known as the Heart Foundation) is a registered New Zealand heart health charity established in 1968. It funds research into heart disease, and provides education to promote healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease. It has awarded over $78 million to fund research and specialist training for cardiologists since 1970. The funding has provided over 1,800 research and training grants awarded in New Zealand.
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| Registration no. | CC23052 |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | 9 Kalmia Street, Ellerslie, Auckland |
| Location |
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Key people | Chief Executive Clive Nelson |
| Website | http://www.heartfoundation.org.nz |
There are 18[1] Heart Foundation branches located through New Zealand.
The Heart Foundation's work includes:
- funding research into the treatment, cure and prevention of heart disease
- funding training and grants for New Zealand’s cardiologists and researchers
- developing and implementing heart disease prevention programmes for schools and communities
- educating New Zealanders on how to live heart healthy lifestyles
- championing care for those at risk of, or living with, heart disease in New Zealand
History
editIn 1968, a group of cardiologists established the National Heart Foundation with the aim of making an impact on New Zealand's heart disease epidemic. New Zealand's death rates due to heart disease were among the highest in the world at the time.[citation needed]
Advertising campaigns
editIn 2015 the foundation released a television advertisement asking viewers "who gives the most realistic performance of a heart attack?", and showing several people acting as if they are experiencing a heart attack. In the end, the advertisement points to a person sitting in the background. It was designed to teach people that heart attacks are not as dramatic as what are portrayed in cinema.[2] The advertisement received multiple awards.[3]
Dietary advice
editThe foundation recommends a diet low in saturated fat and high in unsaturated fats (monosaturated and polyunsaturated) from nuts, seeds, plant oils, avocado and oily fish to reduce heart disease risk. They advice that 40% of the food trolley should be filled with fruit and vegetables.[4] The foundation recommends people to replace refined grains with whole grains and consume at least three servings of whole grains per day for heart health.[5]
In 2017, the foundation published a Dairy and Heart Health umbrella review which found an "overall neutral effect of dairy on cardiovascular risk for the general population".[6] Their position paper stated that "the evidence overall suggests dairy products can be included in a heart-healthy eating pattern and choosing reduced-fat dairy over full-fat dairy reduces risk for some, but not all, cardiovascular risk factors".[7]
In 2020, the foundation’s Expert Nutrition Policy (ENP) issued a position statement that concluded that high consumption of red meat increases risk of heart disease and stroke by 16% therefore one should aim to reduce consumption of red meat below 350g per week and replace meat with plant sources of protein.[8][9]
Research
editThe Heart Foundation is New Zealand's leading independent funder of heart research. Their funding enables medical researchers and cardiologists to undertake research projects and specialist training.[citation needed]
Heart Foundation Chair of Heart Health
editHeart Foundation donors funded a Chair of Heart Health position at Auckland University.[10] The Chair, filled by Professor Rob Doughty, was established to create a research hub to focus on improving understanding of heart disease, and to help improve heart health for New Zealanders.[citation needed]
Heart disease and mental illness study
editIn 2017 the Heart Foundation funded a two-year study into the link between heart disease and mental illness,[11] to be carried out by Professor Bart Ellenbroek and his research team at Victoria University, Wellington.[citation needed]
Polypill study
editThe Heart Foundation of New Zealand, with other organisations including the British Heart Foundation and the Wellcome Trust, funded research published in 2011 into the use of a polypill to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.[12][13]
Care and support
editThe Heart Foundation holds heart-help sessions that offer support and advice from guest speakers including health professionals. These sessions are run by regionally-based Heart Foundation staff.[citation needed]
Heart Foundation lottery
editThe Heart Foundation runs a lottery as a fundraiser. It began on 26 December 1993. Jennian Homes[14] is the partner of the Heart Foundation Lottery.
Heart Foundation Tick
editThe Heart Foundation Tick programme[15] was used to help New Zealanders find healthy food choices. The programme ran for 25 years and was retired in 2016.[16] An achievement of the Tick programme was its success in working with food companies to reduce the amount of salt in processed food products.[citation needed]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Find your local Heart Foundation branch". Heart Foundation NZ. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ "NZ Heart Foundation gives viewers an attention test, shows heart attacks aren't as dramatic as you think". stoppress.co.nz. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
- ^ "Know it by heart: 111 saves lives". NZ Herald. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
- ^ "Guide to eating for a healthy heart". heartfoundation.org.nz. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Are whole grains good for you?". heartfoundation.org.nz. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Dairy and Heart Health". heartfoundation.org.nz. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ Dairy and the heart - Position statement. heartfoundation.org.nz. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ "Is meat good for you?". heartfoundation.org.nz. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Red meat and poultry". assets.heartfoundation.org.nz. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
- ^ "Heart Health Research - The University of Auckland". www.fmhs.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ Wellington, Victoria University of (25 September 2017). "Unravelling the link between mental illness and heart disease". Victoria University of Wellington (Press release).
- ^ "Polypill 'halves risk of stroke and heart attack'". NHS UK. 26 May 2011. Archived from the original on 16 April 2018.
- ^ PILL Collaborative Group; Rodgers, A.; Patel, A.; Berwanger, O.; Bots, M.; Grimm, R.; Grobbee, D. E.; Jackson, R.; Neal, B.; Neaton, J.; Poulter, N.; Rafter, N.; Raju, P. K.; Reddy, S.; Thom, S.; Vander Hoorn, S.; Webster, R. (25 May 2011). Wright, James M. (ed.). "An International Randomised Placebo-Controlled Trial of a Four-Component Combination Pill ("Polypill") in People with Raised Cardiovascular Risk". PLOS ONE. 6 (5). Public Library of Science (PLoS): e19857. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...619857.. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019857. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 3102053. PMID 21647425.
- ^ "Heart Foundation - Jennian Homes". Jennian Homes. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ "Do you want to eat more healthily?". Heart Foundation NZ. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
- ^ "Why is the Heart Foundation ditching the Tick programme?". NZ Herald. 17 October 2016. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2 February 2018.