University of Newcastle: Nutrition on menu to create healthy rural hearts

The NSW New England region has one of the highest rates of heart disease in the state.

Healthy Rural Hearts
The Healthy Rural Hearts or HealthyRHearts project, funded by the Federal Government’s Medical Research Futures Fund, will connect people at risk of or with heart disease, to a highly qualified nutrition service that supports them to reduce their risk factors.

Led by University of Newcastle Laureate Professor Clare Collins, the project will ask participants to identify nutritional changes they are able and willing to adopt. Participants will be supported to make the changes with the guidance of their GP and the HealthyRHearts research team.

Tamworth GP and director of the University’s Department of Rural Health, Professor Jenny May, who leads the Tamworth research team, said the project was being delivered by people who understand what it is like to live in regional and rural areas. Prof May said the research study was a great opportunity to find the solutions that work for regional communities.

The Healthy Rural Hearts or HealthyRHearts project is a collaboration between the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Primary Health Network, Hunter Medical Research Institute and NSW Regional Health Partners, with project staff based at the Department of Rural Health in Tamworth.