HUNTING TIGER

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33777, 25 February 1975, Page 17

HUNTING TIGER

Biochemical need (N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright! LONDON, Feb. 24. The trouble with 20th century man is that he still has stone-age biochemistry, a leading British heart specialist said today. His heart is more suited to hunting the sabre-tooth tiger than coping with the “bulls and bears” of the stock market, said Dr Malcom Carruthers of St Mary’s Hospital. London. Together with Dr Peter Taggart of Middlesex Hospital, he is studying heart disease among London’s bowler-hatted accountants in a project financed by the British Heart Foundation. The fact that man has a stone - age biochemistry “means that when he is angry, frightened or frustrated special fats are poured into his bloodstream to provide energy to chase his prey or fight off that tiger,” the doctor said. Instead, nowadays, he just sits at his desk and fumes. The fats go unburnt, accumulate, and according to one theory, block blood vessels—a major cause of heart attacks. Meanwhile, instead of brooding about when the boss will call for the firm’s accounts, said Dr Carruthers, an accountant is best advised to take a little regular exercise—“something to take the place of all man’s running about when he was a simple, hunting creature.”