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Nursing our nurses back to health: Tailored interventions needed now

Nurses make up the largest professional group within the healthcare workforce and their work is perceived as being physically and mentally demanding. According to a National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses in Canada conducted in 2005, an alarming proportion of Canadian nurses then reported

Modern day healthcare first envisioned in 1962 classic "The Jetsons"

It’s 2062. The world is a futuristic utopia of push-button conveniences made possible by technology. Even visiting the doctor happens virtually via videophone. Such was the premise of the popular American animated sitcom, The Jetsons, which first hit airwaves in 1962. But, as Cardiac Telehealth

Esther's list: Top 10 tips for managing stress

According to Statistics Canada, 23% of Canadians aged 15 and older (an estimated 6.7 million people) reported most days were either ‘quite a bit’ or ‘extremely stressful’. Stress is the mind and body’s response to a perceived threat or stressor, triggering the instinct known as the fight-or-flight

Wireless device puts real-time data analysis at the fingertips of cardiac rehabilitation research

Cardiac patients at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) are getting healthier faster thanks to recently acquired state-of-the-art cardiopulmonary exercise monitoring equipment with ergospirometry (CPET). The Oxycon TM Mobile Device pairs portability with functionality, and packs a big

Top five stories of 2017 from The Beat

As 2017 draws to a close, we hope you will enjoy this look back at our Top 5 articles from this past year: 5. Intermittent fasting helps fight obesity Up to sixteen weeks of intermittent fasting without otherwise having to count calories helps fight obesity and other metabolic disorders 5th most

Engineering the next generation of nanomaterial for biomedical applications

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing science of producing and utilizing nano-sized particles invisible to the naked eye. In biomedicine, nanosilver is one of the most studied nanomaterials because of its natural antibacterial, antifungal, and even anti-inflammatory properties. Also, due to its unique

Donna May Kimmaliardjuk: Canada’s first Inuk heart surgeon

At first glance, Donna May Kimmaliardjuk may seem like an average twenty-something-year-old. She is peppy, full of zest and, despite having worked a string of 12-hour long shifts with unpredictable on-call demands, her spirit is as sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel. At 28, Kimmaliardjuk, or “Dr. K” as

BRUISE CONTROL-2: Continued vs. interrupted anticoagulation therapy?

BRUISE CONTROL-2: Continued vs. Interrupted use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Pacemaker or Defibrillator Surgery Direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) use is common among patients requiring pacemaker or defibrillator surgery. However, the results of a new study led by Dr. David H. Birnie, MD, staff

Project Rise-Up: Helping Women Recover from Cardiac Surgery

One thing we know about women’s hearts is that they are different. Gender differences have been identified in the recognition, treatment and recovery from heart disease related illness, but there are anatomical differences that can affect a woman’s recovery from cardiac surgery. One post-surgical

Intermittent fasting helps fight obesity

Did you know periods of sporadic fasting can be beneficial for the metabolism? Up to sixteen weeks of intermittent fasting without otherwise having to count calories helps fight obesity and other metabolic disorders. Such fasting already shows benefits after only six weeks. This is according to a