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The 9p21 risk variant is the strongest known common genetic risk factor for heart disease in Caucasians and Asians. Beginning with the discovery of 9p21 in 2007, studies have consistently shown that having one copy of a genetic variation in 9p21 increases a person’s risk of heart disease by 15 to 20

In the largest-ever collaborative study of its kind, a team of cardiovascular genetics researchers from around the world have identified 13 new genetic variants associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). This finding more than doubled the number of genetic variants known to impact risk for CAD

Obesity rates have grown to such an extent over the past several years that normal-weight individuals are now a minority in Canada. The problem gets worse with age: 16 per cent of adults ages 20 to 39 are obese, while fully one-third, or 33 per cent, of their counter-parts ages 60 to 79 fit that

Editor’s Note: In the previous issue of The Beat, senior management responsible for clinical care at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute offered a wide-ranging discussion of the state of cardiovascular medicine in “ The Changing Cardiovascular Landscape.” Many of the themes and trends raised

The Heart Institute’s highly successful telehome monitoring program is marking the participation of its 1,000th patient. The unique program for managing heart failure care substantially reduces hospital readmissions and saves on unnecessary health care costs. Heart failure refers to a complex of

In December 2010, McGraw Hill publishers released the 13th edition of Hurst’s The Heart, one of the essential texts in cardiovascular medicine for more than 40 years. This edition marks a major revision, with 19 new chapters and 59 new authors. Dr. Robert Roberts, President and CEO of the University

The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association have named the RAFT trial among the top 10 research advances in heart disease in 2010. Led by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, RAFT showed cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is effective in reducing the risk for death

Late last year, Statistics Canada released new figures detailing the leading causes of death in the country. Based on 2007 data, the report noted that cancer and heart disease were the two leading causes of death for Canadians, and these were responsible for slightly more than one-half (51 per cent)

Thirty-one years ago, it was not known that the heart produces hormones. That changed in 1981 when Adolfo de Bold, PhD, discovered that muscle cells in the atria of the heart secrete atrial natriuretic factor (ANF), an essential hormone that regulates fluid volume, blood pressure and sodium. Since

UOHI researchers have identified a stretch in the DNA sequence that increases risk of heart disease by up to 40 per cent regardless of other established risks such as cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes. The discovery could help identify people at high future risk for heart disease, enabling