Welcome to the New Zealand Heart Foundation

Help unlock life

You’ll remember hundreds of passcodes throughout your life, but do you know the numbers that help unlock life?

Your blood pressure numbers.

Learn more

Staying well with heart failure

My Heart Check

Call the Heart Line

Our purpose: to stop all people in New Zealand dying prematurely from heart disease and enable people with heart disease to live full lives

195,000

people in New Zealand are currently living with heart disease

That's more than one in 23 adults [1]

30%

Almost 30% of deaths in NZ are caused by cardiovascular disease

It is the leading cause of death in New Zealand and includes heart, stroke and blood vessel disease [2]

90 mins

Every 90 minutes a New Zealander dies from heart disease

Many of these deaths are premature and preventable [2]

$99m

The Heart Foundation has invested into research since 1968

I have a heart condition

I want a healthy lifestyle

I am a health professional

I am an educator

I am a food preparer

I am a researcher

News & Stories

1 May 2026 in Media Releases

High blood pressure – a silent killer. Get your numbers checked

High blood pressure is quietly putting more than a million New Zealanders at risk of heart disease - and many don’t know it.

Choosing fats and cooking oils

How do you choose the best fats and oils to cook with? From olive oil to canola oil, we explain everything you need to know about the best fats and oils for your heart.

Plant-based oils proven best for heart health, says Heart Foundation

The Heart Foundation’s newly released position statement on cooking fats and oils confirms that the best fats and oils for our hearts come from plant sources that are lower in saturated fats.

Thanks to our amazing supporters, in 2025 we were able to invest $4.2 million in vital research projects and training for cardiologists.

Your donation will save lives

Donate now