WEBVTT - Are we doing enough for our hearts? 0:00:05.721 --> 0:00:09.401 You're listening to the Weekend Collective podcast from News Talks. 0:00:09.401 --> 0:00:12.481 I'd be children in New Zealand down about eighty percent, 0:00:12.961 --> 0:00:17.081 sixty nine percent of MARI. So yeah, an outbreak measles 0:00:17.081 --> 0:00:22.081 if it was to spread, would be yeah, reasonably, very 0:00:22.161 --> 0:00:22.921 very serious. 0:00:23.121 --> 0:00:25.401 Well, well, saw what it did in samow was it 0:00:25.521 --> 0:00:27.961 ninety six deaths or ninety two deaths. I mean there's 0:00:28.361 --> 0:00:30.441 in a small country, you know, not a big country, 0:00:30.561 --> 0:00:32.321 ninety almost one hundred deaths. 0:00:32.601 --> 0:00:34.801 Look, and we can't forget that we had seven hundred 0:00:34.841 --> 0:00:38.681 admissions of children into hospital here in New Zealand. And yes, 0:00:38.721 --> 0:00:41.201 we had the eighty deaths and Samaraw So New Zealand 0:00:41.241 --> 0:00:43.241 was very very lucky not to get away with any 0:00:43.281 --> 0:00:45.921 deaths at all. But Samoa got hit very badly. So 0:00:46.521 --> 0:00:49.241 although a lot of people think that measles is a 0:00:49.281 --> 0:00:52.961 you know, sort of benign childhood type illness, it can 0:00:53.001 --> 0:00:55.201 have very very serious consequences. 0:00:55.481 --> 0:00:59.201 How yeah, how long have we had a vaccination for it? 0:01:01.561 --> 0:01:04.161 I can't give you the exact time roughly vaccination, but 0:01:04.561 --> 0:01:08.961 it's been about twenty fifty sixty years. 0:01:09.001 --> 0:01:13.921 I think it's the problem with it that people because 0:01:13.961 --> 0:01:16.081 there is a generation that's sort of still alive that 0:01:16.441 --> 0:01:18.321 lived with you know, when the only way you could 0:01:18.321 --> 0:01:20.441 deal with measles was to hopefully you get through it. 0:01:20.881 --> 0:01:24.201 But pre vaccination is there sort of is there a 0:01:24.241 --> 0:01:26.401 frustration that people think, oh, we had measles when we 0:01:26.441 --> 0:01:28.081 were younger and it wasn't very nice and we got 0:01:28.121 --> 0:01:29.841 over it and we're fine, sort I think ninety sixty 0:01:29.921 --> 0:01:33.361 nine by the way, there you go, yeah, yeah. 0:01:33.201 --> 0:01:35.961 Look, look there is a little bit of that around. 0:01:36.801 --> 0:01:38.761 I think there's a couple of things there is that. 0:01:39.001 --> 0:01:42.121 So that's you're exactly right on what you've said. I 0:01:42.161 --> 0:01:43.881 think we've come out of COVID where there was a 0:01:43.921 --> 0:01:47.041 whole lot of immunization misinformation around, and I think that's 0:01:47.121 --> 0:01:51.721 been been quite quite it's had a big, big impact 0:01:51.721 --> 0:01:55.881 in people's view of immunization with measles, mumpsonry bellery immunization. 0:01:56.001 --> 0:02:00.561 There was the case of a physician in England in 0:02:00.601 --> 0:02:03.081 the late nineties who claimed that it was it was 0:02:03.241 --> 0:02:07.841 associated with autism. Oh yeah, now got proven that that 0:02:07.841 --> 0:02:11.881 that was totally false. You know that the person who 0:02:11.921 --> 0:02:14.521 did it didn't disclose the financial conflict. They were being 0:02:14.521 --> 0:02:19.601 paid by lawyers preparing a lawsuit. Number of ethical violations 0:02:19.601 --> 0:02:23.361 and the fact that that doctor whose name was Andrew Wakefield, 0:02:23.641 --> 0:02:26.761 was actually struck off in twenty ten over this through 0:02:26.881 --> 0:02:32.361 serious professional wist conduct and dishonesty. So it was it 0:02:32.521 --> 0:02:35.361 was no basis to it whatsoever. There's been very large 0:02:35.401 --> 0:02:38.761 trials since then that has shown there's no association whatsoever. 0:02:38.801 --> 0:02:40.881 But I think that's had that that that did have 0:02:40.961 --> 0:02:42.201 an impact because you. 0:02:42.241 --> 0:02:46.721 Made RFKR in the house and. 0:02:46.801 --> 0:02:48.921 I know so, so that that sort of adds to everything. 0:02:49.001 --> 0:02:50.881 And in fact, he was he was around at the 0:02:50.881 --> 0:02:54.241 time the Sama thing as Sama outbreak happened and there 0:02:54.241 --> 0:02:57.281 was very low immunization rates and Samara and he had actually 0:02:57.361 --> 0:03:00.281 been been in Samar around that time. So look, a 0:03:00.361 --> 0:03:02.921 number of things have been happening, a lot of misinformation 0:03:03.001 --> 0:03:05.921 on social media about immunization, which is a real problem 0:03:06.321 --> 0:03:09.561 and it certainly is impacting our munization rates in New 0:03:09.641 --> 0:03:10.481 Zealand at this point. 0:03:10.681 --> 0:03:14.281 I remember once I had I'm hesitant to quote her 0:03:14.361 --> 0:03:17.321 from back in the days of you know, tomounimanizations for 0:03:17.321 --> 0:03:20.361 other things, and I had Helen Petusus Harris, who's a vaccinologist, 0:03:20.521 --> 0:03:23.841 and actually she had a really good she had quite 0:03:23.841 --> 0:03:26.921 a nice pragmatic answer because people. Somebody called up and said, oh, look, 0:03:26.961 --> 0:03:28.921 when I was young, we'd just have a we used 0:03:28.921 --> 0:03:31.121 to know, some parents used to have chicken pox parties 0:03:31.161 --> 0:03:33.601 and that have, you know, where someone would come along 0:03:33.841 --> 0:03:36.601 and she and actually Helen's response was actually quite instant, 0:03:36.601 --> 0:03:39.881 because you know, parents deliberately choosing Look, if we're going 0:03:39.921 --> 0:03:41.681 to get chicken pox, then we might as well get 0:03:41.681 --> 0:03:45.001 it now sort of thing. And Helen's response simply was, well, yes, 0:03:45.041 --> 0:03:47.681 people did do that back then, but now we have 0:03:47.721 --> 0:03:48.521 a better answer. 0:03:49.881 --> 0:03:51.561 And I thought it was so simply put. 0:03:51.641 --> 0:03:55.241 It was understanding and empathizing with why parents people might 0:03:55.281 --> 0:03:57.281 make choices. But she said, but now we have a 0:03:57.321 --> 0:03:58.921 better way, and it's called a vaccine. 0:03:59.441 --> 0:04:02.361 Yeah. Look, I totally agree with Helen, and it's a 0:04:02.521 --> 0:04:05.921 it's a lovely way of putting it that. Yeah, vaccines 0:04:05.921 --> 0:04:08.481 have been developed for a reason and it's a much 0:04:08.521 --> 0:04:11.881 better way of doing it because you know, the measles. 0:04:12.081 --> 0:04:13.721 One thing I'll say about the measles is, you know, 0:04:13.801 --> 0:04:16.001 for a lot of children, yes, they get unwell and 0:04:16.521 --> 0:04:19.961 you know they require isolation and they will get better, 0:04:20.601 --> 0:04:24.961 but it's not by nine. So there are these serious complications, 0:04:25.281 --> 0:04:29.721 you know, including dehydration, pneumonia brain swelling, which is potentially 0:04:29.881 --> 0:04:33.881 very serious. And yeah, for that proportion of kids especially 0:04:33.921 --> 0:04:37.201 are under one year olds because they don't get vaccinated, 0:04:37.481 --> 0:04:39.761 they are really at risk. And you know, of the 0:04:39.801 --> 0:04:42.841 seven hundred that were admitted into New Zealand hospitals in 0:04:42.841 --> 0:04:46.281 twenty nineteen, you know, sort of one hundred of those 0:04:46.281 --> 0:04:49.081 were under the age of one and they required really 0:04:49.121 --> 0:04:54.361 intensive treatment to deal with the issues. So we put 0:04:54.401 --> 0:04:57.441 out our little Tamarik at risk with this with low 0:04:57.481 --> 0:04:58.521 emmorganization rates. 0:04:59.081 --> 0:05:01.281 Actually, just before we get onto the question of heart health, 0:05:01.481 --> 0:05:05.201 which I want to explore, what is the way you 0:05:05.201 --> 0:05:08.601 mentioned that certain communities I think within did you say 0:05:08.681 --> 0:05:12.121 within Maria and Pacific Island communities the vaccination rates. 0:05:11.841 --> 0:05:13.521 Are are lower. 0:05:14.121 --> 0:05:17.161 What if you could click your fingers and come up 0:05:17.161 --> 0:05:19.441 with a solution for that. What would we be doing 0:05:19.561 --> 0:05:23.081 better to get communities engaged with that stuff? 0:05:23.681 --> 0:05:26.201 Oh, look, look, I think it's the communities themselves, and 0:05:26.241 --> 0:05:28.361 it's really the communities have got the answer for that. 0:05:28.561 --> 0:05:31.201 I'd look. I work in Canon's Creek AND's Pirua, and 0:05:32.121 --> 0:05:36.161 you know there's a huge amount of community engagement going 0:05:36.281 --> 0:05:41.481 out talking at churches and schools about vaccination contacting parents 0:05:41.921 --> 0:05:44.921 and really trying to build a trust in vaccination and 0:05:44.921 --> 0:05:48.601 the need for it. So I think there's a lot 0:05:48.641 --> 0:05:50.881 of those things that need to happen, But it's also 0:05:50.921 --> 0:05:54.281 the communities themselves talking about vaccination, talking about the reasons 0:05:54.321 --> 0:05:58.921 for it, and freeing up the access to vaccination services 0:05:58.961 --> 0:06:02.721 becomes really really important, so that the more points of 0:06:02.761 --> 0:06:05.161 contact you have to be able to get vaccination, to 0:06:05.161 --> 0:06:08.601 go out into the community and have vaccination carried out 0:06:08.961 --> 0:06:09.921 is really important. 0:06:11.041 --> 0:06:13.601 Yeah, and please if you're not vaccinated against the measles 0:06:13.641 --> 0:06:17.481 and just it's a pretty simple process, isn't it, Brian, 0:06:17.881 --> 0:06:20.601 In fact, for adults even what is the process that 0:06:20.641 --> 0:06:22.681 people aren't sure about getting amminized? 0:06:22.801 --> 0:06:23.241 What do they do? 0:06:23.721 --> 0:06:23.921 Yeah? 0:06:24.001 --> 0:06:26.041 So, so look, you mentioned nineteen sixty nine, which is 0:06:26.041 --> 0:06:28.161 about that fifty year sixty year mark. If you were 0:06:28.161 --> 0:06:31.121 born before nineteen sixty nine, or in particular between sixty 0:06:31.121 --> 0:06:36.321 two and sixty nine, you should think about getting a 0:06:36.361 --> 0:06:39.921 measles booster. So we sort of recommend that because you 0:06:39.961 --> 0:06:43.441 may only be partially immunized if it fall into that 0:06:43.641 --> 0:06:49.561 that that group, Yeah, and going back further, you quite 0:06:49.641 --> 0:06:52.001 like to have contacted the measles. So there's natural immunity. 0:06:52.121 --> 0:06:55.401 But yeah, it's something you should probably talk about with 0:06:55.521 --> 0:06:59.161 your GP doctor or nurse about whether it's something you 0:06:59.161 --> 0:07:01.441 should consider if you're in that sort of slightly older 0:07:01.481 --> 0:07:01.961 age group. 0:07:02.121 --> 0:07:06.361 Yeah, okay, let's get onto the heart health. You know, 0:07:06.641 --> 0:07:08.281 I was one of the things when we were looking 0:07:08.281 --> 0:07:10.041 at having a chat about heart health. I was just thinking, 0:07:10.081 --> 0:07:12.401 it's one of those questions that people only really start 0:07:12.441 --> 0:07:16.681 to care about their heart health when they or someone 0:07:16.761 --> 0:07:19.761 close to them has keeled over and hopefully like we've 0:07:19.761 --> 0:07:23.241 survived or there's been a tragedy. Are we cognizant enough 0:07:23.241 --> 0:07:26.201 in New Zealand of the importance of looking after our heart? 0:07:26.281 --> 0:07:28.201 Because I mean, the thing that stuck out to me 0:07:28.201 --> 0:07:31.001 when you first discover, you know, learn a little bit 0:07:31.081 --> 0:07:34.361 basics about human biology is just being reminded of the 0:07:34.361 --> 0:07:38.401 obvious that this is a muscle that never ever stops 0:07:38.761 --> 0:07:39.481 until it stops. 0:07:39.761 --> 0:07:43.521 It stops. Yeah, it's a phenomenal muscle. But yes, art 0:07:43.681 --> 0:07:46.561 the fact that just you're born, it just beats and 0:07:46.601 --> 0:07:50.681 it just keeps on going till the day you pass away. Yeah. 0:07:50.681 --> 0:07:52.681 Look at it's an interesting question you ask, and I 0:07:52.681 --> 0:07:56.721 mean I think sometimes perhaps people you know, we don't 0:07:56.761 --> 0:08:01.361 realize the impact of heart disease on New Zealander. So 0:08:01.401 --> 0:08:03.201 what we do know is about one hundred and eighty 0:08:03.321 --> 0:08:06.721 thousand New Zealanders live with heart disease. In New Zealand, 0:08:07.001 --> 0:08:11.441 about ten thousand of us die every year from heart disease. 0:08:11.921 --> 0:08:14.121 So that's one person every ninety minutes. 0:08:14.281 --> 0:08:15.521 That's carnage. 0:08:15.841 --> 0:08:18.601 Well well, look, look you're not wrong with what you say. 0:08:18.721 --> 0:08:22.401 So and for some people there's no warning. It can 0:08:22.441 --> 0:08:25.721 be very sudden, and it can be and it's absolutely 0:08:25.721 --> 0:08:28.721 traumatic obviously for a faro and family that are left behind. 0:08:29.881 --> 0:08:33.721 So yeah, look, it's a major impact on the health 0:08:33.841 --> 0:08:37.401 of New Zealander. Is it's something we should actually think 0:08:37.441 --> 0:08:40.721 about because a lot of heart disease, not all heart disease, 0:08:40.761 --> 0:08:44.201 but a lot of it is actually preventable and preventable 0:08:44.241 --> 0:08:46.841 through lifestyle and what we actually do on a daily basis. 0:08:47.081 --> 0:08:49.921 So what percentage of those tenhou arm and gosh, that's 0:08:49.921 --> 0:08:51.921 a hera in this number, isn't it? But what percentage 0:08:51.961 --> 0:08:56.641 of those would be preventable as opposed to you've got 0:08:56.641 --> 0:08:59.161 a predisposition, you. 0:08:59.201 --> 0:09:03.961 Know, sure, sure, Look, look, probably probably a good proportion. 0:09:04.041 --> 0:09:06.481 We know that age is probably the biggest stress factor 0:09:06.521 --> 0:09:07.161 as you get older. 0:09:07.161 --> 0:09:08.881 You can't help that, can you. 0:09:09.681 --> 0:09:13.201 Well, you know, you can delay the onset of where 0:09:13.201 --> 0:09:15.641 the heart gets a bit tired and worn out, but 0:09:16.601 --> 0:09:19.001 the percentages are quite high in terms of what could 0:09:19.001 --> 0:09:25.641 potentially be prevented through just thinking about a lifestyle and 0:09:25.721 --> 0:09:29.881 particular our diets in particular. Physical inactivity is another big, 0:09:29.881 --> 0:09:32.521 big one that in modern days, you know that that's 0:09:32.561 --> 0:09:36.201 become a real, real issue and things like smoking and alcohol. 0:09:36.241 --> 0:09:40.041 You smoking in particular is devastating for increasing the rates 0:09:40.041 --> 0:09:42.121 of heart disease. In fact, if you give up smoking, 0:09:42.921 --> 0:09:46.761 you reduce your rate of dying of heart disease by 0:09:46.801 --> 0:09:51.121 about fifty percent after about five years. So it's major. 0:09:51.721 --> 0:09:52.841 Why Why is that? 0:09:52.881 --> 0:09:55.801 Because intuitively, and I'll ask questions from a dumb point 0:09:55.841 --> 0:09:58.801 one of you, Intuitively we think, well, of course we 0:09:58.841 --> 0:10:04.041 can understand lung cancer, smoke lungs bad. How does how 0:10:04.081 --> 0:10:05.921 does it the heart muscle? 0:10:06.721 --> 0:10:10.001 Well, look, I mean, you know, basically, we take a 0:10:10.001 --> 0:10:14.001 whole lot of toxins into our blood system. With smoking, 0:10:14.721 --> 0:10:17.441 we tend to with nicotine that's in the cigarette smoke, 0:10:17.481 --> 0:10:19.481 we tend to put up our blood pressure. And blood 0:10:19.521 --> 0:10:22.801 pressure is one of the big, big risk factors for 0:10:23.521 --> 0:10:28.041 heart disease, and it tends to just be associated with 0:10:28.081 --> 0:10:30.761 a whole lot of things like deposition of cholesterol on 0:10:30.801 --> 0:10:34.761 the artery walls, blood pressure, and yeah, it's got this 0:10:35.161 --> 0:10:38.441 very very strong association with not just heart disease, but 0:10:38.561 --> 0:10:44.681 stroke as well. So yeah, smoking per se, apart from 0:10:44.721 --> 0:10:48.841 the nicotine, puts pumps into our bodies about one hundred 0:10:48.881 --> 0:10:52.561 and sixty different toxins of chemicals, and to cut a 0:10:52.561 --> 0:10:58.001 long story short term, it's basically toxic, poisonous. That's essentially 0:10:58.001 --> 0:10:58.561 what it does. 0:10:58.841 --> 0:11:02.081 Well, I mean, ironically, what smoking does do is cut 0:11:02.081 --> 0:11:06.961 a long story short, doesn't it, Because yes, I mean 0:11:07.001 --> 0:11:09.681 potentially long story short. I mean we had the famous 0:11:10.401 --> 0:11:12.961 the death of a fav very famous New Zealander, Bob Jones, 0:11:12.961 --> 0:11:16.281 who sort of lived a reasonably long life. But all 0:11:16.321 --> 0:11:17.961 I could think of was that with the pipe. I 0:11:17.961 --> 0:11:19.561 was thinking, how long would you have kept going if 0:11:19.601 --> 0:11:22.721 he had cut that habit out twenty or thirty years before. 0:11:22.761 --> 0:11:25.601 I mean, well, look, that's a really interesting question. But 0:11:25.681 --> 0:11:27.841 we always have these stories of people who have smoked 0:11:27.841 --> 0:11:31.121 all their lives and live into their nineties or you know, hundred. 0:11:31.121 --> 0:11:33.121 You always sort of hear those type of stories, they 0:11:33.161 --> 0:11:36.401 have long lives. However, when you look at smoking as 0:11:36.441 --> 0:11:38.881 a collective from the people who smoke, what we do 0:11:39.041 --> 0:11:42.481 know just shortens life. That's what it actually does. And 0:11:42.521 --> 0:11:45.081 apart from the effects on the lungs, and again, when 0:11:45.081 --> 0:11:47.961 you start to get lung damage, the lungs don't work 0:11:48.001 --> 0:11:51.121 as well, it tends to put pressure on the heart, 0:11:51.601 --> 0:11:54.561 the part can't pump as well. Tends to lead to 0:11:54.601 --> 0:11:58.241 things like heart failure and things. And so yeah, all 0:11:58.241 --> 0:12:00.961 these effects are pretty devastating on the human body. And 0:12:01.121 --> 0:12:05.361 let's face it, we weren't designed to put a great 0:12:05.441 --> 0:12:08.681 smoke and toxins into our body. You know, every day 0:12:08.721 --> 0:12:11.081 you just think about it. It's not something that the 0:12:11.161 --> 0:12:12.521 human body was designed to do. 0:12:12.761 --> 0:12:16.401 Well, speaking of things we might necessarily necessarily been designed 0:12:16.441 --> 0:12:19.801 to do. And yet you know, there's the argument about moderation. 0:12:19.881 --> 0:12:21.801 You probably guess what my next question is going to be, 0:12:22.521 --> 0:12:25.201 what about where are we at with alcohol consumption and 0:12:25.281 --> 0:12:28.721 heart health? Because there's one of the things people talk 0:12:28.761 --> 0:12:31.241 about is stress can impact your heart. When some people 0:12:31.361 --> 0:12:33.481 think that, well, it lasts of wine maybe three or 0:12:33.481 --> 0:12:34.561 four times a week at the end. 0:12:34.441 --> 0:12:35.081 Of a big day. 0:12:35.521 --> 0:12:37.321 Where are we at with alcohol and heart health. 0:12:38.201 --> 0:12:40.401 Yeah, no, that's that's a good question because it's probably 0:12:40.401 --> 0:12:43.801 one of the ones we don't think of too much. 0:12:44.121 --> 0:12:46.441 And yeah, it's it's an important one. 0:12:46.481 --> 0:12:47.041 So so. 0:12:49.361 --> 0:12:51.881 Yeah, it's it's one of those ones that that that 0:12:52.001 --> 0:12:56.081 is quite important. And the more we drink, the more 0:12:56.121 --> 0:12:58.001 it does tend to affect the heart. Now, one of 0:12:58.001 --> 0:13:01.281 the ways it can affect the heart, you know how 0:13:01.361 --> 0:13:03.201 cold can be affected with blood pressures, so put in 0:13:03.201 --> 0:13:05.801 your blood pressure ups pressure on the heart. But there 0:13:05.881 --> 0:13:09.921 is a specific condition that occurs called cardiomopathy. So a 0:13:09.961 --> 0:13:13.361 lot of alcohol consumption can cause the heart muscle to 0:13:13.721 --> 0:13:15.841 the heart to actually enlarge, in the heart muscle to 0:13:15.881 --> 0:13:19.321 actually weaken, and that can lead to problems down the track. 0:13:19.521 --> 0:13:23.121 So that with extreme drinking, Yeah, yeah. 0:13:22.761 --> 0:13:26.361 When you you're above above what's sort of recommended, you know, So, 0:13:26.361 --> 0:13:28.961 so drinking and moderation is what we try and push. 0:13:29.161 --> 0:13:32.721 You know, less is better basically, but if you have 0:13:32.841 --> 0:13:36.081 an excessive alcohol it can certainly lead to this this 0:13:36.161 --> 0:13:40.041 cardiomopathy condition where the heart gets enlarged, it doesn't pump 0:13:40.041 --> 0:13:42.321 as well, it's weaker than it should be, and it 0:13:42.401 --> 0:13:44.641 leads to heart failure and a whole lot of problems. 0:13:45.361 --> 0:13:47.361 Okay, well, look I'm going to throw it out there 0:13:47.361 --> 0:13:48.681 for people to give you a call as well. On 0:13:48.881 --> 0:13:52.521 eight hundred eighty ten eighty text nine nine two were 0:13:52.561 --> 0:13:54.241 having a chat about heart health, Mandy. If you've got 0:13:54.241 --> 0:13:58.601 any questions around the measles and MMR vaccines and things 0:13:58.641 --> 0:14:00.921 like that. If you've got any questions, we have doctor 0:14:00.961 --> 0:14:04.321 Brian Betty is with us GP and also as you 0:14:04.321 --> 0:14:06.601 will know, he's said chair of General Practice New Zealand. 0:14:07.081 --> 0:14:10.241 Give us a call eight hundred eighty ten eighty. But 0:14:10.321 --> 0:14:13.601 also on the heart thing, if you have gone through 0:14:13.601 --> 0:14:15.801 a bit of a journey with heart health and you've 0:14:15.801 --> 0:14:18.401 come out the other side, or what was it that 0:14:18.441 --> 0:14:20.081 made a difference to you, What was the lesson that 0:14:20.121 --> 0:14:22.041 you realized about what where you were going wrong? Because 0:14:22.041 --> 0:14:24.601 sometimes sharing your story can help other people reflect on 0:14:24.601 --> 0:14:25.801 what they're doing with their last style. 0:14:25.961 --> 0:14:27.201 Give us a call. I'd love to hear from you. 0:14:27.441 --> 0:14:30.161 Eight hundred eighty ten eighty e text on nine two. 0:14:30.161 --> 0:14:32.081 If you like nine two nine two, should I say 0:14:32.881 --> 0:14:33.921 we'll be back in just a moment. 0:14:34.121 --> 0:14:36.121 Is twenty three past four news Talks. He'd be. 0:14:55.441 --> 0:14:57.241 And welcome back to the weekly collective. This is the 0:14:57.241 --> 0:14:59.201 Health Hub. My guest is doctor Brian Betty. He's GP 0:14:59.361 --> 0:15:01.561 and chair of the General Practice New Zealand, talking about 0:15:01.561 --> 0:15:03.321 heart health and we've got I've got a lot of 0:15:03.361 --> 0:15:06.441 questions to dig into with but we're going to take 0:15:06.481 --> 0:15:07.161 some calls as well. 0:15:07.161 --> 0:15:14.601 Steph, Hello, Hi, Hello, Hello, Hi. 0:15:14.881 --> 0:15:15.321 Where you go? 0:15:16.401 --> 0:15:21.361 I've got a few questions about heart health. And so 0:15:21.521 --> 0:15:25.961 with heart health, how do you deal with that when 0:15:25.961 --> 0:15:27.121 it's full of injustice? 0:15:27.241 --> 0:15:27.361 Right? 0:15:28.081 --> 0:15:31.961 Injustice really affects your heart? 0:15:32.521 --> 0:15:33.521 Are you talking about stress? 0:15:33.561 --> 0:15:35.321 Steph? 0:15:35.401 --> 0:15:37.961 Yes, stress and just complete injustice. 0:15:38.241 --> 0:15:40.641 Okay, I'll keep that question short, I think, because I'm 0:15:40.641 --> 0:15:42.561 not sure where it's going. And Brian, but let's let's 0:15:42.601 --> 0:15:44.521 tie that in with stress, shall we? I think, because 0:15:44.561 --> 0:15:47.321 injustice sounds a bit political? What do you reckon, Brian? 0:15:47.441 --> 0:15:47.801 Stress? 0:15:47.961 --> 0:15:54.401 Well, there's no doubt that stress releases basically hormones or 0:15:54.561 --> 0:15:58.481 doorphins in our body that can increase heart rate and 0:15:58.521 --> 0:16:01.601 can increase blood pressure. So we know that over time 0:16:01.681 --> 0:16:04.281 that if you are stressed continually and there's something triggering 0:16:04.321 --> 0:16:08.841 that stress, that certainly blood pressure can increase. And we 0:16:08.921 --> 0:16:11.601 know that blood pressure is one of those those factors 0:16:11.921 --> 0:16:14.961 that does put stress on the heart. So look, it 0:16:15.081 --> 0:16:18.601 can have an indirect effect through through blood pressure in 0:16:18.681 --> 0:16:20.521 terms of what actually actually happens. 0:16:21.961 --> 0:16:24.441 Okay, all right, let's take another call Ross. 0:16:24.481 --> 0:16:28.201 Hello, Hello mate, there you going good? Yeah, I would 0:16:28.321 --> 0:16:32.321 like to about cancers and all these sort of things. 0:16:32.681 --> 0:16:35.281 I think the ten eighty is our biggest problem in 0:16:35.321 --> 0:16:40.561 New Zealand is coming down into the water. There's trace 0:16:40.641 --> 0:16:45.241 is found in dairy meat and honey, and it's all 0:16:45.281 --> 0:16:48.001 the basic stuff that we eat a little bit of. 0:16:48.521 --> 0:16:49.881 It's all in the stuff we eat. 0:16:50.241 --> 0:16:52.641 I think that's a slightly contentious view. Ross, I don't 0:16:52.721 --> 0:16:54.921 really want to in the ten a debate, but you've 0:16:54.921 --> 0:16:56.041 got anything to say on that, Brian. 0:16:58.681 --> 0:17:01.921 Look, look, I mean you know there's we know that 0:17:02.001 --> 0:17:07.041 some pesticides are linked to cancer. We do know that 0:17:08.801 --> 0:17:11.801 ten eighty is a very controversial area in terms of 0:17:11.801 --> 0:17:14.441 what happens in terms of pest controls. So I think 0:17:14.441 --> 0:17:16.921 it's it's not there's no clear answer on that. 0:17:17.641 --> 0:17:20.161 But I mean it apparently does break down in water. 0:17:20.241 --> 0:17:22.521 But actually we're not going to get we're not going 0:17:22.561 --> 0:17:24.481 to get into the arguments around that because then I 0:17:24.601 --> 0:17:27.281 have someone targeting my home address when I call it crazy, 0:17:27.921 --> 0:17:30.121 which has happened before, believe it or not, so stay 0:17:30.121 --> 0:17:34.841 away ross on the actually just on the question of 0:17:36.401 --> 0:17:39.561 what I think one of the bigger questions is, and 0:17:39.681 --> 0:17:41.921 obviously in your role at general Practice New Zealand, is 0:17:43.161 --> 0:17:46.081 what can and should New Zealanders do look after their 0:17:46.121 --> 0:17:50.241 heart versus what role does the government have to play 0:17:50.321 --> 0:17:53.001 in us making healthier choices? Do you think because I've 0:17:53.001 --> 0:17:55.401 had a few texts saying we'll get rid of KFC 0:17:55.561 --> 0:17:57.721 and they always get a hard time despite how many 0:17:57.841 --> 0:17:59.961 times they advertising can have a healthy choice if you want. 0:18:00.001 --> 0:18:03.281 But anyway, but how what what do you think when 0:18:03.321 --> 0:18:05.401 it comes to the government telling us how we should 0:18:05.441 --> 0:18:09.041 live versus maybe them playing in a role in information 0:18:09.121 --> 0:18:10.361 we will make our own choices. 0:18:11.201 --> 0:18:14.401 Well, look, look, I think information and education is really important. 0:18:14.441 --> 0:18:16.721 I mean, you know the basics around healthheart are ready 0:18:16.761 --> 0:18:20.481 two things diet and exercise. That those are the two things, 0:18:20.481 --> 0:18:24.921 and we don't know we know that we don't exercise enough. 0:18:25.761 --> 0:18:28.481 Diet is problematic. We live in what we call this 0:18:28.561 --> 0:18:32.241 a bisogenic environment, so we have a lot of access 0:18:32.281 --> 0:18:35.601 to processed foods which are high in sugar and high 0:18:35.721 --> 0:18:39.521 in salt, and they have a direct impact on heart disease. 0:18:39.561 --> 0:18:41.561 So there's no doubt that diet plays a big thing, 0:18:41.561 --> 0:18:44.921 and in particular takeaway food, so you're referred to KFC 0:18:46.161 --> 0:18:50.521 a whole range of them. So I think awareness about 0:18:50.641 --> 0:18:54.081 the potential. You know, it's not to say you can't 0:18:54.161 --> 0:18:56.081 have these things, and I'm a big believer in all 0:18:56.121 --> 0:19:00.801 things moderation, but it's when it's excessive that's the problem 0:19:00.881 --> 0:19:02.881 we start to run into. And I think the government 0:19:02.881 --> 0:19:04.801 does have a big role to play in terms of education, 0:19:05.601 --> 0:19:08.241 in terms of what we actually do with that, and 0:19:08.281 --> 0:19:12.281 we know there's debates over things like, you know, certain suburbs, 0:19:12.321 --> 0:19:15.801 too many takeaway stores, and access to food, and especially 0:19:15.841 --> 0:19:18.721 for our children. We're the third highest country in the 0:19:18.721 --> 0:19:23.201 world for obesity amongst our children. It's it's it's quite phenomenal. 0:19:23.281 --> 0:19:25.801 So we've got a real real problem with that. And yeah, 0:19:25.801 --> 0:19:28.801 the other one that often comes up is tax on sugar. 0:19:29.841 --> 0:19:32.401 So these things do float around, and that there's two 0:19:32.481 --> 0:19:34.681 sides to all those arguments. I think the big key 0:19:34.721 --> 0:19:38.321 thing is actually education and actually us making decisions for 0:19:38.361 --> 0:19:40.801 ourselves on what we do with us and how are 0:19:40.841 --> 0:19:41.321 we handle it. 0:19:41.361 --> 0:19:44.201 Because the sugar taxes, to me, I don't like the 0:19:44.241 --> 0:19:47.201 idea of it taxes as a way of doing things. 0:19:47.201 --> 0:19:49.441 But of course, you know, we have excise taxes and 0:19:49.481 --> 0:19:51.921 we are doing you know, smoking is a classic example 0:19:51.961 --> 0:19:54.161 that if it went for the excise tax on or 0:19:54.201 --> 0:19:58.201 whatever it is, on cigarettes, be well, they'd be cheapest chips. 0:19:58.321 --> 0:20:02.441 But I would be in favor of, for instance, sugary drinks. 0:20:02.761 --> 0:20:05.921 I still remember that when I first learned how much 0:20:05.961 --> 0:20:09.321 sugar was in a can of coke, I was, you know, 0:20:09.481 --> 0:20:11.521 and this was as a young man who just drink it, 0:20:11.641 --> 0:20:13.761 you know, because I don't really care and I never 0:20:13.761 --> 0:20:15.601 thought about it. That I heard it was like thirteen 0:20:15.681 --> 0:20:18.281 or fifteen tea spoons. I was, what what I mean? 0:20:18.401 --> 0:20:21.601 And should we have something around labeling? 0:20:21.641 --> 0:20:22.001 Do you think? 0:20:22.041 --> 0:20:22.201 I mean? 0:20:22.241 --> 0:20:24.161 I know this is on the political side, but if. 0:20:24.041 --> 0:20:27.961 You know your role is potentially political, if you want 0:20:28.001 --> 0:20:29.441 to be lobbying for things, isn't it. 0:20:30.041 --> 0:20:32.041 Look look, I think you taped into a really important one. 0:20:32.041 --> 0:20:34.361 I think one of the big big ones that are 0:20:34.401 --> 0:20:37.721 talked about are these sugary soda drinks. So these are 0:20:37.721 --> 0:20:40.521 your soft drinks with very high sugar. Now, the problem 0:20:40.521 --> 0:20:42.641 with them is that they are packed full of sugar. 0:20:42.681 --> 0:20:45.201