Despite huge progress in prevention and treatment over the past 50 years, cardiovascular disease remains New Zealand’s number one killer.
This is because our population is getting older and we are increasingly suffering from comorbidities associated with heart disease such as diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure. Premature death and disability are still, today, devastating consequences of heart disease and stroke.
Cardiovascular disease is also the costliest disease in terms of hospital admissions and health care delivery. Investing in scientific research for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease is therefore vital for our health, and vital for the economic viability of our health care sector.
The core mission of the HRI – to improve our understanding of the causes and complications of cardiovascular disease – therefore remains essential.
