Cardiovascular diseases – disorders of the heart and blood vessels – are the leading cause of death globally. In Aotearoa, alongside cancer and respiratory diseases, they are one of the leading causes.
Heart health Photo: 123RF
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Cardiovascular diseases are also responsible for a large portion of the difference in life expectancy between Māori and non-Māori and Pacific and non-Pacific people.
Life expectancy is a term used for the average period that a person might expect to live. In Aotearoa there is a difference in life expectancy of about seven years between Māori and non-Māori, and about five years between Pacific and non-Pacific.
A Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) is aiming to address these, and other, heart health inequities. Pūthai Manawa / Healthy Hearts for Aotearoa is one of ten CoREs, whose funding began in July 2021, and will run until December 2028.
Pūtahi Manawa have set ambitious goals – the Centre aims to address heart health research and health-care gaps that affect Māori, Pacific peoples, women, and rural communities. To do this, it will need to be ‘business not as usual’ says co-director Dr. Anna Rolleston.