Day 252 - 20 May 96 - Page 59


     
     1        going finish.  We are trying.
     2
     3   MS. STEEL:   Can I just put this point because it is relevant.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL: If he has got the document.  Does he have the
     6        document?.
     7
     8   MS. STEEL:   I am saying it is too complicated to try and find
     9        out where it is.  There is only one point that I want to
    10        ask him about.
    11
    12   MR. JUSTICE BELL: Are you familiar with what Miss Steel is
    13        concerned with?
    14        A.  I believe, your Honour, I have actually seen this
    15        document.
    16
    17   MR. RAMPTON:  Your Honour, this is terrible. If I have bright
    18        lights shining in my eyes..  I wonder it can be turned
    19        slightly away.
    20
    21   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Tilt the light down.
    22
    23   MS. STEEL:    It is the Napley Report in September 1983.
    24        A.   I remember it well.
    25
    26   Q.   Right.  If I can just ask you one thing about it.  In here
    27        it says:
    28
    29        Coronary heart disease mortality characteristically rises
    30        with age and the main trend in the past 50 years is for the
    31        age at which the disease develops to become progressively
    32        earlier.  Thus a 40-year old man in 1971 faced the same CHD
    33        risk as a 55-year old in 1921." Is that something that you
    34        would accept?
    35        A.   Yes.  I mean, this is the problem that was mentioned a
    36        few minutes ago, the question of the decline in the age at
    37        which people are experiencing their first heart attack, and
    38        preventative measures are largely directed to reducing the
    39        incidents of disease in younger people.
    40
    41   MR. MORRIS:  Right.
    42
    43   MS STEEL: But it is correct that people are getting the CHD, for
    44        example, at progressively earlier agencies?
    45        A.   Yes.  Right.  I think there are many reasons for
    46        that.  I doubt very much whether it is based on radical
    47        changes in diet during that period of time.
    48
    49   Q.   Diet has changed substantially in the past 50 years has it
    50        not? 
    51        A.   Were you referring to 50 years there? 
    52 
    53   Q.   It was talking about the main trend in the past 50 years
    54        so, yes?
    55        A.   In 50, years yes there have been changes in diet, yes.
    56
    57   Q.   Right and it is quite possible that, well, you would say
    58        that it is certainly one of the factors which has resulted
    59        in people developing the disease at progressively earlier
    60        ages?

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