Hynds Foundation has regularly supported Heart Foundation NZ through a number of research grants and funding initiatives.
We have also been encouraged by the keen participation of our team, customers, and suppliers in the Tour of New Zealand cycle event, raising an impressive amount of additional funds for Heart Foundation since the inaugural event in 2012.
The current focus of research being supported is to dig deeper into food processing and its impacts on heart health, led by Dr Andrew Reynolds. At present, he is most interested in ultra-processed foods which are “made by combining substances derived from foods with cosmetic additives, typically through a series of industrial processes”. Recent estimates indicate ultra-processed foods are the main source of dietary energy in many high-income countries. Emerging observational data indicate the global transition towards higher ultra-processed food intakes is leading to greater incidence of heart disease, cancers, diabetes, and premature mortality. But are these associations real? A universally accepted definition and scientific classification system does not exist. This is of particular interest as use of the term “ultraprocessed food” is dramatically increasing as a catch-all for poor diets. Dr Reynolds’ aim is to provide nuance and understanding to this topic by looking at the role of both minimally processed and ultra-processed foods in health. Current focus The objective of the current Heart Foundation Hynds Senior Fellowship is to respond to new and emerging challenges to the food supply. The most obvious current challenge is the move away from minimally processed foods towards those that are ultra-processed. This remains a relevant area, but is also highly charged. The current way to classify ultra-processed foods is flawed, with any movement away from that system is being met with intense criticism within the scientific literature.
The Foundation has also supported research instigated by:
Dr Roy Hoerara for Maori Cardiovascular Health.
Dr Katrina Poppe examining how we effectively utilise the wealth of health information available to improve risk prediction for individuals. Katrina has developed a New Zealand-based risk assessment tool for individuals with heart conditions to examine whether useful information can be obtained from repeat healthcare visits, and in the patterns of how heart medications are used. She has also led studies that aim to improve the detection of atrial fibrillation (AF), and underlying heart conditions in people with AF. These projects directly benefit study participants but also provide new, more accurate risk assessment for all New Zealanders with heart conditions, particularly young people and those at high risk.
