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?
