There are fears stress caused by Covid-19 could take a toll on the health of Kiwis' hearts, according to newly released research from Otago University.
The research , published yesterday in the New Zealand Medical Journal, showed chronic stress, high blood pressure, being less financially secure and involuntary unemployment are all risk factors for heart disease.
Middle-aged men, Māori, Pacific and South Asian people were found to be disproportionately affected.
Lead author Nhung Nghiem, an economist and modeller from the University of Otago in Wellington, said these factors have all been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The nature and extent of the likely impact of Covid-19 induced unemployment on [cardio-vascular disease] is unclear and will require monitoring as part of research,” she wrote.
The research was conducted in April this year through a literature review that analysed the association between unemployment or economic crises and cardio-vascular disease.
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