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In 2012, the promise of using genetic information to personalize patient care made a leap forward at the Ottawa Heart Institute, with the introduction of the RAPID GENE test. Patients who get a cardiac stent to open a blocked artery must take medication to prevent blood clots. Clopidogrel is most

At the turn of the 21 st century, what we knew about the genetic underpinnings of heart disease was limited. There had been success in identifying inherited mutations that cause relatively rare heart rhythm and muscle disorders (arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies). But the genetics of common cardiac

A person living with heart failure may not think twice about popping an over-the-counter pill for pain, swallowing a vitamin with breakfast or drinking a cup of green tea. But they should. A scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) released in July lists numerous prescription

In the film Minority Report, the police were able to see who was going to commit a murder before it happened, and then prevent it. Being able to do the same thing for heart attacks would be a major advance for cardiology—knowing who is going to have a heart attack and then preventing it from

When the dust settles on the Ottawa Heart Institute’s new addition in early 2018, one of the innovative new facilities to come online will be a hybrid operating room (OR). It will be a space for surgeons, interventional cardiologists, imaging specialists and other medical professionals to work side

So far in 2016, Heart Institute researchers have won more than $7 million in research funding, including major awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada. Perhaps most remarkable is the Institute’s

Despite major advances in technology and treatment over the past several decades, cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death in the world. In fact, cardiovascular illness has continued to increase at an epidemic rate globally despite a general reduction in age-related mortality over

In 1989, Wesley Behm was born with a serious congenital defect. The left side of his heart was underdeveloped and his prospects for survival were poor. Doctors recommended a heart transplant—a procedure that had never been performed in Canada on an infant. Remarkably, a donor heart was found within

October 29, 1991 was a royal day at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. As part of the Canadian tour that Prince Charles and Princess Diana made that year, the Princess of Wales visited the Heart Institute on the Ottawa leg of their travels. Accompanied by Mila Mulroney, wife of Prime Minister

Great strides have been made over the last 40 years in reducing the number of Canadians who smoke. Yet, smoking tobacco remains a leading cause of preventable illness, hospitalization and death. People who smoke daily average twice as many days in hospital as people who have never been daily smokers