Heart Foundation gives $78,000

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 34009, 25 November 1975, Page 7

Heart Foundation gives $78,000

Grants of $78,550 have heen approved by the scientific committee of the National Heart Foundation. Professor E. A. Espiner and Dr Hamid Ikram, of The Princess Margaret Hospital, will receive Si 1,750 for research to hormonal and other changes in patients with heart ailments. A grant of SIOOO will go to Dr R. Fraser, of the Christchurch Clinical School, who will attend an inter-

• conference in Tokyo .inext year on atheosclerosis, 7 the arterial disorder leading | to heart disease. ' A travel grant was warded to Dr Ikram to enable him to attend the AsianI Pacific congress on cardiology in Honolulu in 1976, with six other New Zealand ' doctors. ISOTOPE MEASURE Dr P. J. Hurley, and Dr K. P. O’Brien, of Auckland Hospital. received a grant of '58136 for a scientific officer 'to work for eighteen months lon a project already sup-

, ported by the foundation in [which a new isotope method will be developed to measure how much muscle damage 1 results from an acute heart attack.

Professor R. B. Elliott, Dr M. B. Starling, and Dr J. M. Neutze, of Auckland, were granted $10,799 to continue clinical and experimental research into the use of prostaglandins (naturallyoccurring chemical substances) in management of developmental heart disease in infants. This research has already been supported by 1 the foundation, and early 7 results have attracted international notice. Dr A. R. Kerr and Dr A. H. G. Roche, of Green Lane Hospital, received $6360 to employ a research officer to help analyse results of surgical treatment of coronary and valvular heart diseases. Dr S. P. Woodhouse, of Otago University, was awarded $BOll to continue experimental studies.

FOOD ADVICE Dr A. S. and colleagues from Napier and Hastings were granted $lO,OOO towards the cost of equipment for a study of heart-rhythm changes and effects of drugs in ambulant patients who have recovered from a coronary attack. A grant of $lOOO to Professor F. O. Simpson, of the University of Otago, was given toward the costs of running an international symposium in Dunedin on high blood pressure.

A grant of $14,705 was given to Professor J. D. Wilson, of Auckland, to enable him to investigate 2000 patients using drugs in the | treatment of heart disease. I Five hundred dollars was awarded to the Auckland branch of the Dietitians’ Association to start a “dial-a-dietitian” service in Auckland. This is based on a service running in Ontario, Canada, and will provide mem- ' bers of the public with dietary information from volunteer dietitians.