ISSUE
Friday, August 15, 2025
Volume 16 . Issue 72
“I saw Mr T, a 54-year old Indian man last week. He normally works up to seven days a week. He came with a one week history of cough and runny nose. He had the “flu” (influenza) and a chest infection and he was expecting to leave with just a prescription for antibiotics.
However, Mr T hadn’t considered that smoking a packet of 20 cigarettes per day for the last 37 years combined with his age (over 35years), his Indian ethnicity, his high total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio of 6.1 (over 4.5), his high waist circumference of 134cm (over 100cm), his pre-diabetes and his morbid obesity (weight 161.8 kg) with a body mass index of 52.2 (25 and over is overweight, 30 and over is obese, 40 and over morbidly obese) placed him at high risk of a heart attack and stroke in the next five years.” - Dr Richard Hulme (Director of Clinical Quality & CME - East Tamaki Healthcare Group of Companies)
Heart attacks can take the lives of young people and those closest to us without warning. Like Maori and Pacific people, Indian men and women need to be screened for cardiovascular disease ten years earlier than other New Zealanders.
Heart attacks kill one in five Indian people every year. By 2020, heart attacks will kill one in three Indian people every year.
The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand emphasises the need to know your numbers (http://www.knowyournumbers.co.nz/). Know your blood pressure, know your cholesterol, know your weight and Body Mass Index (BMI), know if you have diabetes and know your risk of heart attack or stroke. When you know these numbers you can do something about it to prevent you, or your loved one, being the next heart attack or stroke victim.
IF YOU ARE:
• An Indian or Fiji-Indian man 35years and over, or an Indian or Fiji-Indian woman 45years or over,
• Know your numbers, know your risk; it is never too late to do something to protect yourself and your loved ones. Visit the know your numbers website. Discuss your risk with your Pharmacist, family doctor or the practice nurse.
Free checks are available for enrolled and eligible patients at all East Tamaki Health clinics.
“I saw Mr T, a 54-year old Indian man last week. He normally works up to seven days a week. He came with a one week history of cough and runny nose. He had the “flu” (influenza) and a chest infection and he was expecting to leave with just a prescription for antibiotics. However, Mr T hadn’t...
“I saw Mr T, a 54-year old Indian man last week. He normally works up to seven days a week. He came with a one week history of cough and runny nose. He had the “flu” (influenza) and a chest infection and he was expecting to leave with just a prescription for antibiotics.
However, Mr T hadn’t considered that smoking a packet of 20 cigarettes per day for the last 37 years combined with his age (over 35years), his Indian ethnicity, his high total cholesterol/HDL cholesterol ratio of 6.1 (over 4.5), his high waist circumference of 134cm (over 100cm), his pre-diabetes and his morbid obesity (weight 161.8 kg) with a body mass index of 52.2 (25 and over is overweight, 30 and over is obese, 40 and over morbidly obese) placed him at high risk of a heart attack and stroke in the next five years.” - Dr Richard Hulme (Director of Clinical Quality & CME - East Tamaki Healthcare Group of Companies)
Heart attacks can take the lives of young people and those closest to us without warning. Like Maori and Pacific people, Indian men and women need to be screened for cardiovascular disease ten years earlier than other New Zealanders.
Heart attacks kill one in five Indian people every year. By 2020, heart attacks will kill one in three Indian people every year.
The National Heart Foundation of New Zealand emphasises the need to know your numbers (http://www.knowyournumbers.co.nz/). Know your blood pressure, know your cholesterol, know your weight and Body Mass Index (BMI), know if you have diabetes and know your risk of heart attack or stroke. When you know these numbers you can do something about it to prevent you, or your loved one, being the next heart attack or stroke victim.
IF YOU ARE:
• An Indian or Fiji-Indian man 35years and over, or an Indian or Fiji-Indian woman 45years or over,
• Know your numbers, know your risk; it is never too late to do something to protect yourself and your loved ones. Visit the know your numbers website. Discuss your risk with your Pharmacist, family doctor or the practice nurse.
Free checks are available for enrolled and eligible patients at all East Tamaki Health clinics.
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