Quiz: Heart research milestones

Test your knowledge of the people, research and medical breakthroughs that have helped improve heart health in New Zealand and around the world.

Quiz: Heart research milestones

How well do you know the discoveries that have shaped heart health?

Test your knowledge of the people, research and medical breakthroughs that have helped improve heart health in New Zealand and around the world.

1. In what year did doctors perform the world's first heart transplant?

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  • Correct! On 3 December 1967, South African surgeon Dr Christiaan Barnard transplanted a heart into patient Louis Washkansky at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town. 

    Source: History.com, PMC (National Institutes of Health) 

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Question 1 of 10

2. What did the invention of the ECG (electrocardiogram) let doctors do for the first time?

  • Correct! Dutch physiologist Willem Einthoven invented the electrocardiograph in 1903, giving doctors their first window into the heart's electrical rhythm without opening the chest. 

    Source: Nobel Prize archives 

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Question 2 of 10

3. What was being researched when a surprise observation helped lead to the development of an early external pacemaker?

  • Correct! In the late 1940s, Canadian surgeon Wilfred Bigelow was researching hypothermia (cooling the body) to make heart surgery safer. During experiments on dogs, his team noticed that a heart which had stopped from cold could be restarted with a small electrical probe — a chance discovery that inspired engineer John Hopps to build the first external pacemaker in 1949–50. 

    Source: PMC (NIH) — "A brief history of cardiac pacing" 

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Question 3 of 10

4. Statins were developed after researchers discovered a link between high cholesterol and what?

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  • Correct! Research increasingly showed that high blood cholesterol, particularly LDL cholesterol, was a major cause of artery narrowing and coronary heart disease. In 1972, Japanese biochemist Akira Endo discovered compactin, the first statin compound, opening the way for medicines that lower LDL cholesterol. 

    Source: PMC (NIH) — "Akira Endo, who discovered a 'penicillin' for heart attacks" 

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Question 4 of 10

5. In what year did René Favaloro perform what is widely recongised as the first modern coronary artery bypass operation, building on earlier versions of the procedure performed by other surgeons?

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  • Correct! Argentine surgeon René Favaloro performed the first modern coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) in May 1967 at the Cleveland Clinic, using a vein from the patient's leg to reroute blood around a blocked artery. 

    Source: PMC (NIH) — "Fifty Years of Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery" 

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Question 5 of 10

6. The Framingham Heart Study, which began in 1948, helped doctors identify cardiac risk factors in patients. But when did New Zealand get its own population-specific risk equations?

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  • Correct! New Zealand’s PREDICT equations were developed by the University of Auckland, with funding support from the Heart Foundation of New Zealand, the Health Research Council, and the Healthier Lives National Science Challenge. They provide more accurate risk assessment for the New Zealand population than the Framingham equations, which underestimated risk for some New Zealanders and overestimated it for others. 

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Question 6 of 10

7. In 1959, a ground-breaking study linked which important risk factor to heart disease?

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  • Correct! Researchers following thousands of people in Framingham, Massachusetts, published findings in 1959 showing that smokers had a significantly higher risk of developing coronary heart disease. 

    Source: NIH — Framingham Heart Study timeline 

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Question 7 of 10

8. Around what percentage of deaths in New Zealand are linked to heart and blood vessel disease, according to research?

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  • Correct! Cardiovascular disease (heart, stroke, and blood vessel disease) is the leading cause of death in New Zealand. 

    Source: Heart Foundation NZ — heartfoundation.org.nz/statistics 

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Question 8 of 10

9. In what year was the first World Heart Day held?

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  • Correct! World Heart Day was announced by the World Heart Federation in 1999 to raise global awareness of heart disease research and prevention, with the first celebration held in 2000. It's now marked every year on 29 September. 

    Source: World Heart Federation — History of World Heart Day; World Heart Federation Western Pacific member list 

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Question 9 of 10

10. In June 2026, the Heart Foundation of New Zealand celebrated a major research funding milestone. At that time, how much had it invested in research and overseas training since it began almost 6 decades ago?

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  • Correct! In June 2026, the Heart Foundation announced it had invested $100 million in research projects and overseas training fellowships since it was founded nearly 60 years ago — support that has helped drive advances in preventing, diagnosing, and treating heart disease for New Zealanders. 

    Source: Heart Foundation NZ — "$100 million invested into advancing heart health," 25 June 2026 

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Question 10 of 10

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A great start

Every discovery starts with curiosity. You’ve begun exploring some of the breakthroughs that have shaped heart health in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.

From the first heart medicines to modern treatments, every milestone brings us closer to preventing, diagnosing and treating heart disease. Why not have another go and see what new facts you remember?
 

You’re on the pulse

Nice work! You know your heart-health history. You’ve uncovered several of the discoveries, people and research milestones that have helped transform treatment of heart disease.

There is always more to learn, and every piece of knowledge helps build awareness of heart health. Take the quiz again to see whether you can reach a perfect score.
 

Heart history expert

Outstanding! You really know your heart-health research milestones. From pioneering surgery and pacemakers to New Zealand-led research, you’ve shown a strong understanding of the advances that continue to save and improve lives.

Heart research remains vital. The Heart Foundation has invested $100 million in research and overseas training to help create a healthier future for New Zealanders. 

Learn more about the research that we fund