CORONARY DISEASE

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32273, 16 April 1970, Page 24

CORONARY DISEASE

Evidence Being Collected ,The Coronary Committee of the New Zealand Heart Foundation was at present collecting evidence on various known aspects of coronary artery disease and it was hoped later this year to publish an informed statement on the present state of knowledge, the head of the cardiology department at Princess Margaret Hospital (Dr D. R. Hay) told the monthly meeting of the Christchurch Presbytery on Tuesday evening. During an address to the meeting on coronary artery disease. Dr Hay spnke of some of the causes of the disease, the facts that were known about it, the risk factor involved and terms of prevention. Of persons under 44 years of age the risk of men suffering from the disease compared with women was 13 to one. he said. For persons between the ages of 45 and 62 years, the ratio dropped considerably to two to one. Some of the facts which appeared to increase the risk of the disease were smoking, particularly cigarettes, obesity and diabetes. Another important aspect was the heredity factor. Dr Hay said that while , there were a lot of unproven ' facts about the smoking thesis, persons who suffered from diabetes or persons who had a bad family history of coronary artery disease were “just crazy” to go on smoking. It was also not yet proven that strict dietary habits would delay coronary disease, he said.