Landmark Stem Cell Clinical Trial Opens
In July, the first patient in a landmark clinical trial received treatment at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. The new ENACT-AMI (Enhanced Angiogenic Cell Therapy—Acute Myocardial Infarction) trial, led by the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, is designed to test whether genetically
UOHI at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress/Vascular 2013
This year, the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress (CCC) was part of an even larger event called Vascular 2013 that added parallel conferences dedicated to hypertension, diabetes and stroke. The University of Ottawa Heart Institute had program items in all of these subject areas— nearly 120 in all
American Heart Association Scientific Sessions 2013
The American Heart Association Scientific Sessions is the largest conference for cardiovascular science and medicine in the world. The staff of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute is once again responsible for many expert clinical talks and research presentations. This guide highlights those
CCC 2013: Diabetes Management in a Cardiac Care Setting
Diabetes is a major contributing factor for heart disease. Diabetes patients are two to three times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease than the general population. With the condition widely undertreated and diabetes rates growing, cardiovascular professionals are looking to stem the flow
CCC 2013: Don’t Fear the Exercise Prescription
Regular physical activity is one of the most beneficial things a person can do to prevent heart disease or support their rehabilitation after a heart attack or cardiac surgery. A study recently published in the British Medical Journal found that exercise can be as good or better than drug therapy
CCC 2013: Aging Blood Vessels and the Role of Biomarkers
In two lively talks, Peter Liu, MD, Scientific Director of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, took a big picture point of view. In his plenary presentation to the Vascular Summit, Dr. Liu highlighted the inextricable link between vascular health and aging. Vascular aging leads to vascular
CCC 2013: Type D Personality and Cardiac Rehabilitation
People with Type D personality are distressed. They tend to experience negative emotions and keep these emotions inside, not sharing them with others. Personality traits such as these are considered stable over time. As would be expected, Type D individuals with cardiovascular disease have a poor
CCC 2013: Impacts of Arterial Stiffness
In a Canadian Cardiovascular Society featured program item, cardiologist Thais Coutinho, MD, a recent Heart Institute recruit from the Mayo Clinic, presented interesting findings on arterial stiffness and hypertension. Globally, hypertension is the leading risk factor for death, yet only about half
CCC 2013: Harnessing and Improving the Heart’s Repair System
The promise and challenges of cardiac regenerative medicine—facilitating the growth of new tissue to repair damage to the heart following a heart attack—received wide attention at CCC/Vascular 2013. The labs of University of Ottawa Heart Institute researchers Darryl Davis, MD and Erik Suuronen, PhD
CCC 2013: Prevention in Family Members
In a randomized clinical trial, a Heart Institute group led by Bob Reid, PhD evaluated a program designed to impact the heart health of family members of patients with heart disease. “Family members of patients are in a teachable moment that gives us the opportunity to prevent them from becoming the