News

All in for Heart Month

February is the shortest and coldest month of the year, but also the most important one for our heart health. That’s because February is Heart Month, a time to reflect on the importance of our cardiovascular health and to learn about how we can manage our risk factors for heart disease. The

Our top stories of 2020

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Grab a mug of hot chocolate and gather ‘round the fireplace. These are our top stories from the past year.

How an Ottawa cardiologist is transforming care for patients with incurable heart disease

Dr. Caroline McGuinty is one of the newer faces around the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI). Thanks to an unrelenting coronavirus pandemic, the early-career cardiologist has yet to meet some of her colleagues in person. Despite these challenges, however, McGuinty is making strides. In the

The Beat Interviews: Dr. Caroline McGuinty

The Beat started this special column to introduce you to the brilliant minds and compassionate hearts who work at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. This week’s feature shines a light on one of the most recent additions to the institute’s team of cardiologists. In less than one year, Dr

Five things learned at this year’s (virtual) heart congress

COVID-19 wasn’t about to shut down Canada’s largest gathering of cardiovascular specialists and allied health professionals. Last month, as public health officials introduced restrictions to prevent mass get-togethers in regions across the country, heart-focused members of the medical community were

“Last ditch effort” may give critically ill patients hope and a “fighting chance”

Cardiogenic shock patients with severe mitral regurgitation (MR) are among the most critically ill receiving care at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI). Most frequently occurring in patients who have suffered a severe heart attack, those with cardiogenic shock have difficulty pumping

The Beat interviews: Dr. Talal Al-Atassi

When did you become interested in a career in medicine? It all started after my tonsillectomy, when I was five-years-old. It was a life-changing experience for me, to meet the doctors and to hear the anesthesiologist say, “I’m going to put you to sleep now.” I was so impressed by the whole

A risk factor for obesity is written in your genes

“Do these genes make me look fat?” A new study suggests the answer is yes, and for the first time ever, scientists believe it is the genes that cause inflammation that are at fault. In a study published in Nature Metabolism, a leading academic journal covering a full-spectrum of metabolic research

Disadvantaged Canadians most affected by COVID-19 pandemic

There’s hardly a place in the world untouched by COVID-19. In April, one month after the World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a global pandemic, researchers at The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, and several other institutions across

"Jump In" for women’s heart health this September

Heart disease is the number one killer of women worldwide and the leading cause of premature death in Canada, yet women are often understudied, undertreated, and underdiagnosed. This September, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation, with the support of the University of Ottawa Heart