Southlanders invited to free public lecture on How to Keep a Healthy Heart

Southlanders are invited to attend another free public lecture on one of the most common health issues facing people in our community – how to keep a healthy heart.  It will also discuss an important study involving patients in Otago and Southland.

The lecture is the eighth lecture in a series inaugurated and organised by Southland Surgeon and Clinical Associate Professor, Dr Konrad Richter. These lectures are presented at the New Hospital Campus Education and Research Centre for the Southland and Invercargill public and given by Southland medical professionals, with guests from the University of Otago.

The aim is to provide Southlanders with access to the latest information from doctors and medical staff, by discussing health topics in a sophisticated but understandable way.  

The public lecture on How to Keep a Healthy Heart will be held at the new Learning and Research Centre at Southland Hospital on Tuesday 13 October at 6.30pm. Doors are open at 6.00pm.

Previous free Southland Campus Public Lectures covered colorectal cancer, prostate cancer, breast cancer, cervical cancer, vaccination, modern hip replacement, and assisted dying and euthanasia.

This series of short talks on How to Keep a Healthy Heart will begin with Dr Rachael Byars from Southland Hospital discussing a very common heart rhythm irregularity, atrial fibrillation.

Associate Professor Regis Lamberts, Department of Physiology, University of Otago, will show results from the HeartOtago study that many Southland patients will have participated in while having heart surgery in Dunedin.

Finally, Associate Professor Daryl Schwenke, Department of Physiology and Dr Kate Thomas, Department of Surgical Sciences, will talk about how everyday experiences can both hurt and help your heart. The lecture will be chaired by Dr Sean Coffey, Dunedin Hospital Department of Medicine.

Dr Richter strongly encourages Southlanders to attend this lecture and hear first-hand from experts about what they can do to maintain a healthy heart. 

While all these lectures are free, people are encouraged to RSVP to madge.storm@southerndhb.govt.nz , as the popularity of the lectures often exceeds the venue’s seating capacity.