Heart Research: Māori & Pasifika heart health inequity inspires Otago University researcher Andree Pearson’s mahi

The University of Otago's new vice chancellor Grant Robertson officially began his new role in July Photo / Ben Tomsett

University of Otago researcher Dr Andree Pearson feels privileged knowing her work is treasured by the community she works with and in.

Pearson, of the Christchurch Heart Institute, Department of Medicine, Christchurch, is dedicated to improving heart health equity for Māori and Pacific peoples.

She has received more than $428,000 in the latest National Heart Foundation funding round for a Research Fellowship and two project grants. Her funding is part of the $1.5 million Otago researchers received from the foundation this week for heart research and specialist training.

“In the past two decades, the rates of heart disease in Aotearoa New Zealand have lowered across all ethnicities. However, rates of heart disease are declining less slowly in Māori and Pacific People indicating this inequity is, in fact, rising,” Pearson said.

Dr Andree Pearson.

She is principal investigator for Hauora Manawa mō ngā Kaumātua me ngā Whānau (Kaumātua Manawa), a co-designed study based at several Christchurch marae focusing on biomarkers of heart disease and echocardiography to directly assess heart health in older Māori.

The researchers have had an “overwhelmingly good reception” to not only undertaking a study specifically on Māori, but doing it in the community.

“Participants have enjoyed the relaxed nature as well as the feeling of being part of a greater good. I’d like to have an impact on Māori who have previously avoided going to hospital or the doctor and find by taking part in our study they realise our research is done by people who care about the people on the other side of medicines and treatments.

“We very much want to keep involved in the local Māori community with more research that serves them in the future,” she said.

Pearson is also the Canterbury principal investigator for a unique collaboration between Otago’s Christchurch Heart Institute, researchers at the University of Auckland, and the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Atrial Fibrillation Screening Project.

As part of this screening project, 900 Māori and Pacific participants are providing blood samples for measurement of specific cardiac biomarkers.

“Both of these projects will foster better understanding of cardiac biomarker concentrations and their relationships to heart disease in Māori and Pacific peoples.

“Cardiac biomarkers are central to diagnosing some cardiovascular conditions in routine clinical practice, however, diagnostic thresholds used in clinical practice have been derived in predominantly European and American cohorts.

“The distribution of biomarkers in Māori and Pacific peoples is largely unknown which can lead to significant underdiagnosis of heart failure for Pacific peoples, while it is unclear if the case is the same for Māori.”

Pearson was “extremely grateful” to the Heart Foundation for supporting the projects.

“It is really great to use the funding in community projects that will benefit Māori, for whom heart disease is a big deal.”

Vice-chancellor Grant Robertson congratulated Pearson and all the Otago recipients on their funding success.

“It is fantastic to see such a great variety of research being funded, especially on such important mahi as heart health. I’m especially pleased to know the impact this work will have in reducing health inequities in our communities,” he said.