COVID heartbreak
Economic shocks are linked to rise in cardiovascular disease
More Kiwis could be at risk of having a heart attack due to the stress and financial insecurity caused by Covid-related job losses. Increased unemployment from economic shocks, such as the pandemic, is associated with a rise in cardiovascular disease, especially for middle-aged men, new research published in today’s New Zealand Medical Journal reveals.
Dr Anja Mizdrak said although the research did not look at what has already happened in New Zealand it showed we needed to watch out for people who might end up with heart problems in the coming months and years as a result of long-term stress related to Covid-19’s effects.
“Despite success with eliminating the Covid-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand so far, the response to the pandemic threat has resulted in a range of negative social and economic impacts, including job losses,” Mizdrak said.
The totality of the evidence from the research suggested increased unemployment arising from economic shocks is associated with a rise in cases of cardiovascular disease — particularly for middle-aged men.
The Heart Foundation NZ’s medical director, Gerry Devlin, a practising cardiologist in Gisborne, said there was no doubt stress could trigger a heart attack.
“A good example that we have seen in the past is some of my colleagues in Christchurch saw more people presenting to the hospital with heart attacks after the earthquake.”
Devlin said with stress came more adrenaline which could cause problems with arteries, fuelling a reduction of blood flow to the heart.
“But there was still a lot that was unknown about the link stress and heart attacks.”
Paul Tolich suffered a major heart attack on Auckland’s Harbour Bridge this year.
The 65-year-old had lost his job in construction the day before.
“At the time of the heart attack I did feel the pressure of work and had other stresses going on,” he said.
Tolich was on his way to pick up his grandchildren on July 25 to take them to Auckland Zoo when he felt a sharp pain in his chest.
“It was really frightening. I’ve had heart problems in the past but this was much more intense and I knew it was a heart attack.”
He kept driving to a medical centre near St Lukes, in Mt Albert. Not realising he was having a heart attack, staff told him he couldn’t come in as it was a Covid testing station. “Then I said, ‘ I’m having a heart attack,’ and they suddenly scrambled.”
Tolich spent the next seven days in Auckland City Hospital.
“Doctors said I was really lucky the blood clot had passed and they treated me so well — five-star review for that place,” the Northland granddad said.
The latest figures from Statistics NZ show the country’s overall unemployment rate rose to 5.3 per cent (151,000 people) in September, up from 4 per cent in the June.
That equates to 37,000 more people without a job.
In the September 2020 quarter, 56,700 people said Covid was the main reason they were working fewer hours than usual.
The Herald spoke to emergency doctors in April who warned a serious non-virus patient catch-up loomed due to the building backlog of delayed treatments.
Authors of the medical journal research — who reviewed dozens of studies from overseas — were also worried it could widen the gap between Mäori and non-Mäori.
Minority groups were more at risk of suffering heart attacks due to inequalities in accessing healthcare, experts said in the paper.
“Continued monitoring and active policy responses are required to prevent increases in [ heart attacks].”
To avoid a rise of heart attacks, researchers advised intensifying tobacco control, reducing the permitted level of sodium in processed foods in New Zealand and enhancing the use of blood-thinning drugs, known as statins, and antihypertensives, for those at risk.
The researchers warned continued monitoring and active policy responses were required to prevent increases in CVD (and other harmful health outcomes) as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic response.
The coronavirus has had wideranging impacts across New Zealand and part of the nation’s response includes monitoring the effects of the virus on New Zealanders.
A Ministry of Health spokesman said policy around the recommendations made in the report include topics the ministry regularly looks at.
“We take this report into consideration, as we routinely do with new research.”
At the time of the heart attack I did feel the pressure of work and had other stresses going on. Paul Tolich