Compulsory heart checks advocated

Press, 2 October 1979, Page 3

Compulsory heart checks advocated

Half of all deaths in New Zealand were from cardio-vascular disease — strokes and heart attacks — but Government-funded prevention programmes and compulsory bloodpressure checks could reduce these deaths, said a former president of the American College of Cardiology, Professor Dean ■Mason, yesterday. If the Government made it compulsory for everybody aged over 30 to have a blood-pressure check every two years, it would halve the number of heart attacks and strokes, he said, reports the Press Association.

Professor Mason, in Auckland for the National Heart Foundation’s annual Heart Week, said people should establish healthy behaviour patterns early in life. These included a diet that contained less fat and sugar than the traditional New Zealand diet. A lower salt intake would also assist in the prevention of high blood pressure. The risk of heart disease was increased by smoking. Drinking in moderation could help to prevent a heart attack, but excessive alcohol could damage the heart muscles.