Title here
Heart Research Research News from the Heart Foundation I ISSUE ONE I 2015
Dr Vicky Yang Wang
Hi everyone, Welcome to Heart Research, where you’ll find fascinating stories about ground-breaking research funded by the Heart Foundation.
and cardiology training. That, combined with funding committed earlier, brings our total 2015 investment to $2.6 million.
Thanks to our amazing supporters, we’re able to invest about $2 million into research projects and cardiology training every year. But it’s easy for this vital work to go unnoticed; it often takes place in laboratories, involving tiny molecules and confusing language like ‘biomarkers’ and ‘microRNAs’.
Heart disease is still this country’s biggest killer. It takes more than one of our mums, dads, sons and daughters every 90 minutes. The problem is urgent and we believe continued investment in research is one of the most effective ways to stop it.
This newsletter is our chance to share (using everyday language) some of the potentially life-saving research projects taking place around New Zealand. They range from Nikki Earle’s search for new ways to predict heart attacks, to Professor Ralph Stewart’s study on the effect of giving oxygen to someone having a heart attack. These stories show the tangible difference being made possible by Heart Foundation supporters like you. In July this year, we awarded another $1.7 million in funding towards new research projects
I hope you enjoy reading about how your support is making a difference in the fight against heart disease. Best wishes,
Associate Professor Gerry Devlin Heart Foundation Medical Director
Oxygen therapy – is it really helping? A major nationwide study is being launched to explore whether giving oxygen to someone having a heart attack is actually helping.
know whether oxygen is beneficial, harmful or has no effect.” To find answers, Professor Stewart will carry out a large scientific trial in hospitals throughout New Zealand over the next three years.
Professor Ralph Stewart and his research team of cardiologists, emergency medicine specialists and ambulance services have just received a $150,000 project grant from the Heart Foundation. They will be looking at the use of oxygen therapy, which has for many years been routinely given to patients having a heart attack. “A heart attack is caused by a sudden blockage of an artery which takes blood to the heart. This results in a lack of oxygen needed by the heart muscle to stay alive,” Professor Stewart explains. It’s previously been thought that increasing the level of oxygen in the blood would help, but the benefits of that practice are now being questioned. “Some small studies suggest it may be harmful by decreasing blood flow. Currently we do not
“We will evaluate two different protocols for giving oxygen, both of which are currently in common use, and this will allow us to determine whether one is preferred.” He will try to work out whether the number of people who die within 30 days of treatment differs between the two types of oxygen therapy – high level and low level. “We will evaluate differences during the study to identify if one approach is better than the other as early as possible.” Because oxygen is so widely used, Professor Stewart’s research has the potential to influence guidelines both here and overseas.
“This is important knowledge which is relevant to treatment guidelines in all countries.” Professor Stewart – who currently works at Auckland City Hospital, Green Lane Cardiovascular Research Unit and Auckland Heart Group – estimates about 13,000 patients are admitted to New Zealand hospitals with a heart attack each year.
Contents Oxygen therapy – is it really helping? 2
Other new research projects
5
Our $55 million investment
Grants awarded in 2015
10
Research in Progress
13
Tackling inequalities in heart event outcomes
2
Considero ISSUE FOUR
3 4
How your donation makes a difference 20
3
Tackling inequalities in heart event outcomes Maori and Pacific people, and those living in areas of high deprivation, are more likely to die from a heart event before reaching a hospital. They’re also more likely to die in the 28 days, and first year, following that event. On a mission to eliminate those inequalities is Dr Corina Grey, who has been awarded a three-year Research Fellowship from the Heart Foundation. She will be investigating where and why inequalities arise, based on age, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Those differences could be: • in the time it takes to get to hospital • who gets stenting or heart surgery • who gets prescribed preventive therapy at discharge • who gets referred for cardiac rehabilitation • who experiences complications following the heart event
“Knowledge of where inequalities occur will then enable us to develop targeted strategies and interventions to improve care for all New Zealanders,” Dr Grey says. She will find answers using data from the All NZ Acute Coronary Syndrome – Quality Improvement (ANZACS-QI) research programme. This gives detailed information about all patients admitted to New Zealand hospitals with a heart attack.
4
Heart Research ISSUE ONE
As part of her Heart Foundation Fellowship, Dr Grey will also be looking at the risks and benefits of treatment for patients with acute coronary syndromes. “Evidence shows that higher-risk patients are more likely to benefit from early and more aggressive treatment strategies; however these patients might also be at high risk of experiencing a bleeding complication as a result of treatment,” she explains. “Through my research, I hope clinicians are able to more accurately identify patients who will benefit most from early and aggressive treatment, by balancing the risks and benefits of therapy.” Dr Grey, from the University of Auckland’s Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, says the Heart Foundation’s support is extremely important in enabling this kind of research.
“I would not be able to undertake research without it. I am very appreciative to the Heart Foundation for this opportunity.”
Detecting artery plaque using Kiwi technology Most heart attacks and strokes occur when soft, or ‘vulnerable’, plaque breaks off the walls of our arteries.
Dr Anderson’s ultimate goal is to use the MARS spectral CT to find new treatments that can stabilise vulnerable plaque, before it breaks off and causes a heart attack.
The plaque travels downstream and ends up blocking a smaller artery – often with fatal consequences. Associate Professor Nigel Anderson’s two-year project grant from the Heart Foundation will allow him to search for new ways to detect plaque, even in tiny amounts, and find ways to treat it.
“If we can identify who has vulnerable plaque, then there is the potential to prevent well over 50% of all strokes and heart attacks.” He is part of a team at the University of Otago, Christchurch, using a highly-developed piece of technology called the MARS spectral CT, which was developed right here in New Zealand with funding from the Heart Foundation and its supporters. At the moment, this X-ray technology is only able to fit objects up to the size of a glass of water, but it has already been used to successfully detect unstable plaque in mice. “We now intend to scan more plaque specimens, and scan mice with plaque in a way that can be translated to human imaging once a human-size MARS spectral CT has been built,” Dr Anderson says. “Then people who really are at risk might avoid the devastating consequences of stroke and heart attack.”
5
Finding new ways to predict heart events Tragically, the first sign of heart disease is often death caused by a heart attack. Nikki Earle hopes to improve the way we predict the risk of sudden cardiac events, and save lives, by finding new genetic risk markers.
“This research could more accurately identify those at highest risk of devastating events such as sudden death so we can target them for appropriate preventive treatments.” “Long-term, we hope these studies will also further our understanding of the mechanisms of coronary artery disease and lead to the development of new treatments.” Miss Earle, from the University of Auckland, received a Research Fellowship and small project grant from us in this year’s funding round. Over the next three years, she will study the genetics of people from across the spectrum of heart disease, ranging from those in the early stages to those with advanced stages such as heart failure. In the beginning, she will look specifically at a type of molecule circulating in our blood (called microRNAs), aiming to discover whether these can predict future heart events. Miss Earle says the Heart Foundation’s ongoing funding is vital.
6
Heart Research ISSUE ONE
“Research fellowships are relatively scarce in New Zealand so I’m really excited to receive this funding and to build on the skills gained during my PhD, while furthering our understanding of how genes and environment affect our risk of heart disease. “This three-year period of research will provide a very important stage of the development of my longer term career in this field.”
Improving treatments for heart failure Many of us know someone who has suffered from heart failure – a debilitating and often fatal condition where the heart is unable to pump blood around the body properly. Although there are standard tests used to diagnose and help manage heart failure, exactly ‘when’ and ‘how often’ these tests should be carried out is still unknown. Dr Sarah Fitzsimons, from the University of Auckland, aims to answer these questions and improve treatment for heart failure patients through her IMPERATIVE-ECHO study, jointly funded by the Heart Foundation and Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand. She says there are currently two tests recommended for diagnosing heart failure. These are ‘NT pro-BNP’ (a blood test that measures how much ‘stress’ the heart is under) and ‘transthoracic echocardiogram’ (an ultrasound that shows how well the heart is pumping). “In the IMPERATIVE study we are looking at whether regular intensive monitoring of NT proBNP helps patients stay well and out of hospital. “We’re also trying to determine when and how often the ultrasound study should be used in these patients to adjust their treatment and keep them well.” Her study will be undertaken in both Auckland and Christchurch Hospitals and she hopes to
have the results published in three years. Dr Fitzsimons also received an Overseas Fellowship in this year’s funding round, enabling her to train further in the management of heart transplant patients at Papworth Hospital in Cambridge, UK.
“The Heart Foundation and Cardiac Society funding is critically important,” she says. “I would not be able to go to the UK as the position can’t be funded for a non-EU citizen without the support of the Heart Foundation and Cardiac Society.”
7
Does empathy make a difference? Most of us appreciate when our doctor shows genuine compassion during an appointment. But for people suffering from heart failure, a clinician’s empathy could make an even bigger difference. Over the next 18 months, Simona Inkrot will explore the role of empathy and compassion in helping patients care for themselves. “We know that, in combination with medical treatment, self-care can play a major role in preventing deterioration and hospitalisation for people with a chronic condition such as heart failure,” she says.
“The aim of my research is to show, in a scientific way, that empathy and compassion in healthcare are directly related to a patient’s ability and willingness to look after themselves, and to feel empowered.” Ms Inkrot, a Heart Failure Clinical Nurse Specialist at Thames Hospital, will use a questionnaire to measure the amount of empathy patients feel
they have received during their consultation, and how that has helped them achieve self-care. Her Heart Foundation-funded research could benefit many New Zealanders, not just those living with heart failure. “Every New Zealander is likely to have encounters with healthcare providers at some point in their lives. I’m hoping to encourage clinicians to be aware of and use the power of an interpersonal connection in their interaction with patients.” Ms Inkrot says she feels honoured by the Heart Foundation’s decision to trust in and fund her research.
“And I am humbled and deeply grateful to every person who has donated money to enable them to do so.”
Since 1970 we’ve awarded:
8
200
Fellowships and Scholarships
1471
project grants, small project grants, grants in aid, travel grants and summer studentships
Heart Research ISSUE ONE
Shifting the focus to Christchurch Pasifika It’s well known that New Zealand’s Pacific population suffers higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease than the general population. But until now, most of the evidence for this has come from Auckland, which is why Dr Allamanda Faatoese is turning her attention to the South Island – specifically Christchurch.
“Pacific communities living in Auckland have vastly different environments than those in Christchurch. We know little about the heart health profile of Pasifika in Christchurch.” The Pasifika Heart study will, for the first time, measure heart disease risk factors for a sample of 200 Pacific participants – both healthy and those suffering from illness – residing in the South Island. Dr Faatoese, from the University of Otago’s Department of Medicine in Christchurch, says each participant’s personal and family medical history, blood pressure, and body composition will be recorded. Blood tests will measure levels
of cholesterol, blood sugars and markers linked with kidney function, gout and heart failure. “We will also incorporate a short food questionnaire to enhance what we know about this unique Pacific group.” Dr Faatoese says she is very grateful to receive a Heart Foundation project grant in this year’s funding round.
“The Heart Foundation’s funding is very important as it will primarily support a research assistant to help in the recruitment and screening of Pacific participants. It will also support the recruitment of an extra 50 participants to increase the sample size to a total of 200 Pacific adults.”
9
Grants Awarded in July 2015 At the July meeting of the Heart Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Group, a total of 29 grants were awarded. The awards include seven Project Grants, ten Fellowships, seven Small Project Grants and five Travel Grants. Five Summer Studentships were also awarded to the Medical Schools at the University of Otago and the University of Auckland.
Project grants Associate Professor Nigel Anderson Department of Radiology, University of Otago, Christchurch High resolution multi-energy CT imaging of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque. $107,768 over 2 years. Dr Allamanda Faatoese Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch Cardiovascular and lipoprotein profiles of Pacific in Canterbury – the Pasifika Heart Study. $78,834 over 1 year. Dr Sarah Fitzsimons Department of Medicine, University of Auckland IMPERATIVE-ECHO. $144,640 over 2 years.
Associate Professor Helen Pilmore Department of Renal Medicine, Auckland City Hospital Canadian-Australasian randomised trial of screening kidney transplant recipients for coronary artery disease (CARSK study). $150,000 over 2 years. Dr Anna Rolleston The Cardiac Clinic, Tauranga The effect of a 12-week exercise and lifestyle management programme on cardiac risk reduction: A controlled trial using a kaupapa Māori philosophy. $150,000 over 3 years.
Dr Anna Pilbrow Christchurch Heart Institute, University of Otago, Christchurch Improving cardiovascular risk prediction in the general population. $77,949 over 2 years.
Professor Ralph Stewart Green Lane Cardiovascular Services, Auckland City Hospital Oxygen therapy in acute coronary syndromes. $150,000 over 3 years.
10 Heart Research ISSUE ONE
Fellowships Dr Nikki Moreland A 0.3 Heart Foundation Senior Fellowship (for 2 years) was awarded to Dr Nikki Moreland, School of Biological Science, University of Auckland. Dr Sarah Fitzsimons An Overseas Training & Research Fellowship (for 1 year) was awarded to Dr Sarah Fitzsimons. Dr Fitzsimons will work in advanced heart failure management and heart transplantation at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge, UK. Dr Kerryanne Johnson A 0.5 Overseas Training & Research Fellowship (for 1 year) was awarded to Dr Kerryanne Johnson. Dr Johnson will work in multimodality cardiac imaging at Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK.
Dr Gnalini Sathananthan An Overseas Training & Research Fellowship (for 1 year) was awarded to Gnalini Sathananthan. Dr Sathananthan will work as an ACHD (adult congenital heart disease) Fellow at Toronto General Hospital, Canada. Dr Woo Bin (Tiffany) Voss A 0.5 Overseas Training & Research Fellowship (for 1 year) was awarded to Dr Woo Bin (Tiffany) Voss. Dr Voss will undertake an Echocardiography Research Fellowship at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, USA.
Dr Kashif Khokhar A 0.5 Overseas Training & Research Fellowship (for 1 year) was awarded to Dr Kashif Khokhar. Dr Khokhar will work as an Electrophysiology Fellow at Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia.
Miss Nikki Earle A Research Fellowship (for 3 years) was awarded to Miss Nikki Earle, Department of Medicine, University of Auckland.
Dr Anthony (Shaw Hua) Kueh An Overseas Training & Research Fellowship (for 1 year) was awarded to Dr Anthony (Shaw Hua) Kueh. Dr Kueh’s imaging fellowship will focus on cardiac CT and cardiac MRI at St Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, Canada.
Dr Corina Grey A Research Fellowship (for 3 years) was awarded to Dr Corina Grey, Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Auckland. Dr Vicky Yang Wang A Research Fellowship (for 2 years) was awarded to Dr Vicky Yang Wang, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, University of Auckland.
11
Small project grants Professor Vicky Cameron Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch Heart disease risk markers in Canterbury healthy volunteers. $14,818 over 1 year. Miss Nikki Earle Department of Medicine, University of Auckland Circulating microRNAs as markers of arrhythmia risk in survivors of myocardial infarction. $15,000 over 1 year. Ms Simona Inkrot Department of Cardiology, Waikato Hospital Person-centred care in the context of chronic heart failure management in the community. $9,890 over 18 months. Associate Professor Johanna Montgomery Department of Physiology, University of Auckland Examining the role of synapse function and plasticity in the little brains of the heart. $14,900 over 1 year.
Travel grants Dr Sarah Fitzsimons Department of Cardiology, Auckland Hospital European Society of Cardiology Congress, London, UK. Dr Rajesh Katare Department of Physiology, University of Otago American Heart Association Annual Scientific Session, Orlando, USA. Dr Regis Lamberts Department of Physiology, University of Otago European Society for Cardiology Congress, London, UK. Dr Pau Medrano-Gracia School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland MICCAI 18th International Conference, Munich, Germany.
Dr John Pickering Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch Time course profiles of high sensitive troponin in patients at risk of acute myocardial infarction. $15,000 over 1 year. Dr Daryl Schwenke Department of Physiology, University of Otago A PILOT study – identifying the physiological relevance of acyl vs non-acyl ghrelin for modulating cardiac sympathetic nerve activity following acute myocardial infarction. $14,805 over 9 months. Dr Jichao Zhao Auckland Bioengineering Institution, University of Auckland Structural characterisation of explanted intact human atria. $15,000 over 1 year.
12 Heart Research ISSUE ONE
Ms Shruti Rawal Department of Physiology, University of Otago American Heart Association Annual Scientific Session, Orlando, USA.
Research in Progress In this section, we catch up with a group of researchers who received funding from us in previous years. We look at how their research is progressing and how their findings could benefit everyday Kiwis.
Search for new cardiac stem cell therapy Dunedin researcher Dr Rajesh Katare is trying to develop a stem cell therapy that will help mend damaged hearts in people with diabetes. Dr Katare aims to work out why complications arise in stem cell therapy for people with diabetes, and find a solution to this problem. Stem cell therapy has recently emerged as a new treatment option, added to current medications in patients with severe heart failure. “However, stem cell therapy is ineffective in patients with diabetes, because diabetes directly affects the survival and functional ability of stem cells,” he explains. It appears that a tiny molecule called MicroRNA is responsible for this problem. Funded by the Heart Foundation, Dr Katare is trying to prove if this is the case. If so, it may be possible to restore normal function to diabetic stem cells by genetically engineering the microRNAs.
Heart disease is still the leading cause of death in New Zealand, claiming more than one life every 90 minutes. And the risk of heart disease is higher for people with chronic illness, such as diabetes.
“We are using diabetes as the disease model because people with diabetes are more prone to develop heart disease. But this therapy is applicable to any form of heart disease.” Part of the work involves collaborating with cardiac surgeons at Dunedin Hospital, who can provide heart tissue samples collected from people – both with and without diabetes – who are undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery. “These tissues are used to isolate the stem cells from the heart, which can then be expanded and used for required experiments.” Dr Katare, from the Department of Physiology, University of Otago, says the Heart Foundation’s funding is very important to him. “The stem cells research is still lagging behind in New Zealand and through this funding, the Heart Foundation has laid a platform for advances in stem cell research in the country.”
13
Vision for active Kiwi youth Dr Sandra Mandic knows the best way to beat heart disease is to start preventing it from a young age. Her vision is to make walking and cycling to school a more viable option for a generation that’s so reliant on cars and buses. “The lack of physical activity and increase of sedentary lifestyles in adolescents are a global health problem. Active transport to school, such as walking or cycling, is a convenient way to integrate physical activity into everyday life,” she explains. Dr Mandic, from the University of Otago’s School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences in Dunedin, is working on a three-year study to understand the inactive lifestyles of today’s youth. The project is called BEATS (Built Environment and Active Transport to School) and involves the University of Otago, Dunedin Secondary Schools’ Partnership and Dunedin City Council. Their aim is to find out what influences how adolescents travel to school.
14 Heart Research ISSUE ONE
Dr Mandic and her team have already surveyed more than 1700 adolescents from all 12 secondary schools in Dunedin and are now surveying their parents.
“This information will be used for designing future interventions to promote active transport to school, increase physical activity and improve health in adolescents.” Dr Mandic and her team have been given the means to complete this vital research through a project grant from the Heart Foundation in 2014. “The funding from the Heart Foundation is extremely valuable to our research team,” she says.
Boosting M¯aori uptake of cardiac rehab Dr Geoff Kira believes getting creative with the way cardiac rehabilitation programmes are run could lead to a greater uptake of M¯aori patients. People who experience a heart attack or other heart event are usually encouraged to take part in a formal cardiac rehabilitation programme to aid their recovery. Historically, M¯aori have been less likely to attend these programmes than non-M¯aori, which is something Massey University’s Dr Kira wants to change. “M¯aori aren’t taking part in cardiac rehabilitation and that’s a problem. The purpose of my research is to modify current or develop new cardiac rehabilitation programmes to improve the uptake and attendance of M¯aori patients.” Dr Kira, who is the Heart Foundation’s current M¯aori Cardiovascular Research Fellow, has spent the past year interviewing 32 M¯aori patients, and 12 M¯aori and non-M¯aori health professionals.
“I approached them in a M¯ aori way; it was very much about listening to their opinions, rather than telling them our own.”
Another solution would be to pick patients up in a van, solving the transport problem while also creating a sense of unity among the group, which is particularly important to M¯aori.
He’s learned that many M¯aori are unable to attend cardiac rehabilitation because they don’t have transport and can’t take time off work.
A common complaint was that written information about cardiac rehabilitation needs to be simpler and clearer, rather than being buried in a lengthy flyer.
One answer to that problem would be to run programmes in the evening, online or by DVD. “That means the working person wouldn’t miss out.”
“Offering healthy kai at the meetings would also be beneficial. Things as simple as that could help improve attendance rates.”
Dr Kira’s next step will be to carry out feasibility studies, trialling new kinds of cardiac rehabilitation based on his interviewees’ recommendations.
15
Delving into heart rhythm problems
New research into the effects of stress on the heart could help prevent dangerous heart rhythm problems. Funded by the Heart Foundation, Dr Peter Jones is carrying out a two-year study on how stress controls a type of protein called RyR2. “During exercise, the increase in the activity of this protein is essential to increase the strength of each heartbeat,” he explains.
Towards the end of year one, he will have identified which of the many proteins switched on by stress go on to alter the activity of RyR2. “And by the end of the project we will have identified how these individual stress-related proteins work together in the diseased heart.” It is still early days but he has so far identified one new stress-related protein which alters RyR2 activity.
“However, in chronic stress such as heart failure, following a heart attack or during diabetes, the activity of RyR2 can become uncontrolled.”
“This stress-related protein is usually associated with cancer rather than the function of the heart, but it now appears it may also be important in controlling RyR2 and arrhythmias.”
This can lead to a weakened heartbeat or even heart rhythm problems, he says.
Dr Jones says the Heart Foundation’s funding is crucial to his work.
Dr Jones, from HeartOtago and the University of Otago’s Department of Physiology, says his research could lead to the development of new medications that specifically target RyR2.
“Lab-based research can be expensive and takes several years to produce results and translate these to patient care.
“It is only through continued support over multiple years, as provided by project grants from the Heart Foundation, that this type of research is possible.”
16 Heart Research ISSUE ONE
Giving babies the best start in life Most of us know that a baby’s development in the womb is hugely dependent on a healthy placenta or ‘afterbirth’. The placenta acts as a life-support system for the baby, delivering nutrients and oxygen to create an ideal environment for growth.
That’s why Dr Ponnampalam is seeking to identify new forms of therapy. “Greater understanding of the cause of preeclampsia will provide the basis for future novel therapies to prevent heart disease in this high-risk group of women and their babies.” “The Heart Foundation’s funding was and is essential for the research I am undertaking.”
But as Dr Anna Ponnampalam explains, poor development and function of the placenta can have long-lasting harmful effects on both the mother and baby – including greater risk of heart disease. “The first nine months of baby’s life in the womb has emerged as a vital stage influencing disease risk for a range of disorders that develop later in life.” Dr Ponnampalam received the Heart Foundation-Gravida Fellowship (for 3 years) in July 2013 to investigate a serious complication in pregnancy known as preeclampsia. “Preeclampsia predisposes women and their babies to significantly increased risk of metabolic and heart diseases later in life. The aim of my research is to understand the causes and consequences of preeclampsia.” In preeclamptic pregnancies, there is an inadequate blood supply to the placenta, and the most common symptom is high blood pressure. Dr Ponnampalam, from the Liggins Institute at the University of Auckland, says the only current cure for preeclampsia is the delivery of the placenta and the baby. “Removal of the placenta eliminates immediate risk of disease, however, long-term consequences for the mother and the baby remain.”
17
Artery plaques – quite the killer Understanding the inner workings of the heart and arteries is the only way to begin curing heart disease. That’s where Associate Professor Steven Gieseg and his research team at the University of Canterbury come in. By examining live tissue samples taken from patients’ artery plaque, they have found a novel way to reproduce the biological processes that happen within diseased arteries. Associate Professor Gieseg explains that when damaged cholesterol particles become trapped in the artery wall, large amounts of white blood cells are attracted to destroy and remove the damaging particles. “Unfortunately, a significant amount of these white blood cells are killed by the toxic cholesterol particles, resulting in a build-up of pus-like material within the artery wall,” he says. It is a collection of these live and dead white blood cells which causes the artery wall to balloon out in a structure called a plaque, which restricts the blood flow to the organs, causing a heart attack or stroke. Associate Professor Gieseg and his team are looking at how cholesterol particles kill the white blood cells and what we can do to prevent it.
Using recently-developed technology already funded by the Heart Foundation, his team can see what is going on within actual human plaques collected during surgery.
“The cholesterol particles appear to cause the cells to generate a lethal burst of free radicals which knocks out the cells’ metabolic enzymes, causing them to die.
“We now have groundbreaking technology which has led to new imaging systems, sports monitoring and insights into how artery plaques grow to be unstable killers,” he says.
“Why the cells should do this and why their own antioxidants don’t protect them is a mystery that our team is setting out to solve.”
Associate Professor Gieseg was awarded a three-year project grant by the Heart Foundation last year.
They have already shown the cholesterol particles cause the white blood cells to kill themselves by mistake.
18 Heart Research ISSUE ONE
THIS MAN IS HAVING A HEART ATTACK
A HEART ATTACK IS NOT ALWAYS AS DRAMATIC AS YOU THINK This woman is showing us what most people think a heart attack looks like. The man on the bench is actually having one. To spot a heart attack, look closely for chest discomfort that may spread to the jaw, back or shoulders. You may also experience nausea, sweating or shortness of breath. If you or someone else experience these symptoms, call 111 immediately. The longer you wait, the more permanent damage to your heart. Visit heartfoundation.org.nz for more information. The Heart Foundation is the charity fighting New Zealand’s biggest killer, heart disease.
19
How your donation makes a difference $13
means a researcher can buy a plastic freezer box to store DNA samples collected from 100 people.
$35
enables a researcher to purchase an annual licence for statistics software, so he or she can analyse their data.
$150
will cover the cost of performing an echocardiogram during important research into the heart. An echocardiogram is a noninvasive test which uses ultrasound to generate images of a person’s heart and show how it is beating and pumping blood.
$350
would purchase a pipette, an essential piece of molecular biology lab equipment (used for handling very small volumes of liquid).
$1500
will fund a research assistant or a study coordinator for seven days. Research assistants provide technical assistance and help researchers analyse data. Study coordinators recruit study participants, collect clinical data and process and store large numbers of samples.
We must keep investing The Heart Foundation is a charity, which means we cannot continue our fight against heart disease without the generous support of donors and volunteers. If you would like to help us keep investing in ground-breaking research and vital cardiology training, please call 0800 830 100 or visit heartfoundation.org.nz
HeartNZ
HeartNZ
New Zealand Heart Foundation
ISBN 978-1-927263-46-4 ©2015 National Heart Foundation of New Zealand. All rights reserved. If you wish to reproduce or have any queries, please contact info@heartfoundation.org.nz. The Heart Foundation of New Zealand is a registered charity (CC23052) under the Charities Act 2005.