11 Apr 2018

Study shows Maori/Pasifika suffer irregular heartbeats earlier

From , 3:02 pm on 11 April 2018

Testing Māori and Pacific people for an irregular heartbeat earlier could spare hundreds of people from stroke each year, a University of Auckland study has found.
 
The collaboration between the University and Sydney's Heart Research Institute, reveals for the first time that Māori and Pacific people develop Atrial Fibrillation or an irregular heartbeat a decade earlier than other New Zealanders.
 
The study also says when they get the condition under the age of 65, their risk of having a stroke is more than twice that as other New Zealanders.
 
Researcher Matire Mar-tear-e Harwood told Koro Vaka'uta the findings came after analysing the medical records of 135,000 adults, nearly half of which were Māori and Pacific islanders.

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