The Star: September 21, 2017

The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Thursday September 21 2017 9
News
Quake damage raised heart attack risk
• By Jamie Morton
CANTERBURY residents living
in quake-damaged homes were
put at higher risk of heart attack,
a new data-crunching study has
found.
The research, published in
international journal The Lancet
Planetary Health, offers the latest
insight into how quakes that
rocked Canterbury over 2010
and 2011 affected peoples’ health
in the months and years after.
Earlier studies have indicated a
number of negative effects, ranging
from depression, anxiety
and a mental fog dubbed “quake
brain,” to suicides linked to the
disaster and detailed in a New
Zealand Herald investigation.
Now, researchers have found
how those living in areas with
more severely damaged homes
in the first year after a major
earthquake had elevated levels
of cardiovascular disease – and
heart attacks in particular.
We were interested in the longterm
impact of the earthquake
given the prolonged insurance
settlement process, particularly
among those who were most
impacted by earthquake damage
to their homes,” said study author
Professor Vicky Cameron,
RISK: Residents living in quake-damaged homes are
vulnerable to heart attacks.
a cardiology researcher based
at the University of Otago,
Christchurch.
EQC residential building
claims data were linked to residential
information at the time
of the magnitude 7.1 September
4, 2010, earthquake.
Researchers then followed up
with adult residents aged older
than 45 to check any new cases
of admission with cardiovascular
disease and related deaths.
The results were adjusted for
the influence of age, sex, ethnicity,
small area deprivation index
and personal income.
In the first year, people who
were living in the most damaged
areas in Christchurch
had around 10 per cent more
cardiovascular hospitalisations
compared with the least damaged
areas, 22 per cent more
hospitalisations for heart attacks,
and 25 per cent more deaths
from cardiovascular disease.
Over the first 12 months of
the Canterbury earthquakes,
in areas with the most damage
to homes, there were at least 66
related hospital admissions for
cardiovascular disease and 29 for
heart attacks, when compared to
the least-damaged areas.
But the researchers failed to
find any such pattern over the
following four years.
While cardiovascular disease
rates are known to increase
immediately after a severe earthquake,
less was known about the
magnitude of this increase over a
longer time frame, and whether
this was associated with level of
housing damage.
The new study offered proof
that people living in areas with
more severely damaged homes
in the first year after a major
earthquake had elevated levels
of cardiovascular disease, and
heart attacks in particular.
The researchers suggested
policy measures, such as better
access to services and interventions
within the first year of a
disaster, could help.
“The cardiovascular impact of
the Canterbury earthquakes is a
reminder of the broader health
impact of a natural disaster and
the importance of considering
cardiovascular prevention in
natural disaster preparedness,
resilience and recovery,” Cameron
said.
The study was undertaken
as part of the Healthier Lives
National Science Challenge and
carried out by researchers from
Otago University, Canterbury
University and Opus.
– NZ Herald
Fire, stabbing
latest issues
at housing
complex
A FIRE and a reported stabbing
are the latest in a string of
problems at a St Albans social
housing complex.
The Star revealed this month
that police had been called to
the 25-unit Pickering Courts
social housing complex multiple
times to respond to problems,
including threats to shoot other
residents’ pets.
Last Thursday at about 10pm,
firefighters were called to put out
a fire in the yard of one of the
units. The fire was recorded as
suspicious, started by straw and
paper in the garden which had
been set alight. Police were notified
about it.
Earlier in the week, on
Wednesday morning, police had
been called to the complex after
an unrelated report that a tenant
had been stabbed. It turned out
to be a false alarm.
Two weeks ago, several units
and cars parked at the complex
were vandalised with yellow graffiti,
which was also reported to
the police.
Antarctic Season
Opening 1 – 15 October 2017
We challenge EQC and
insurance companies daily
to ensure our clients homes
have been repaired properly
Celebrating Christchurch’s
connection to Antarctica
The Antarctic Season Opening festival
celebrates the city’s past and current
connections to the Antarctic with
exhibitions, events, talks and activities.
Festival programme at
www.antarctic-office.org.nz
Venues throughout the city.
If you have any doubts about the quality
or standard of your repair, call us today.
Ask for Cheryl 03 377 8855.
NO WIN
NO FEE
Ph: 03 377 8855 | 127 Ferry Road, Christchurch City
E: reception@earthquakeservices.co.nz | W: www.earthquakeservices.co.nz