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A good night’s sleep restores energy, improves performance and generally makes you feel better. Getting the right amount of sleep is also important for good heart health. A South Korean study of more than 47,000 adults found that people who sleep about seven hours a night have significantly fewer...

For decades, patients taking the anti-clotting drug warfarin who required the implantation of a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator have posed a dilemma. If they are at moderate to high risk of stroke caused by a blood clot, how are doctors to balance the risk of surgical bleeding...

In April of this year, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute expanded its ranks with a new surgeon who brings broad interests in new concepts and technologies that have the potential to improve patient outcomes. Crossing the Atlantic from the Clinique Saint-Luc Bouge in Namur, Belgium, David...

[Editor’s note: This article is an update of previously published story.] Nearly one in every 100 babies is born with some form of congenital heart disease (CHD). In the 1950s, only about 15% of these children with severe heart defects reached their 18th birthday. Today, with advances in treatment...

Modern medical imaging allows doctors to see deep within the body in exquisite detail. Using small amounts of radioactive material called tracers, cardiologists can see in real time how well a patient’s heart is functioning. The positron emission tomography (PET) imaging group at the University of...

There is a flood of advice in the world about diets and healthy eating. From the food pyramid to fad diets, from books to blogs to celebrity chefs, some of it is good information, some of it is outrageous, and a lot of it is complicated and hard to live by. Healthy eating shouldn’t be hard, but it...

Since their first appearance in the late 1980s, the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have become one of the most widely prescribed classes of drugs ever produced. The medication is used to treat coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis) by lowering the amount of LDL cholesterol—the “bad” cholesterol—in the bloodstream.

Intensive care lives up to its name when you visit the patients who are receiving it in the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit (CSICU). Most patients stay for no more than a day in the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s CSICU, some will stay for three or four days, and the sickest of the sick...

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)...

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...

Together, cardiovascular patients with physicians, nurses, educators, physiotherapists and an ever-growing health care team are part of an alliance making a significant investment in managing one of the most serious chronic conditions—cardiovascular disease.

Since 2009, Health Canada has enforced a ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems, known more commonly as electronic cigarettes or e-cigarettes. The agency cites the potential for nicotine poisoning and addiction as reasons for the ban. But that decision is hardly without controversy in the...

It was another busy American Heart Association meeting for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Staff presented more than 40 talks and posters this year in Orlando, Florida. With some 20,000 people in attendance, several Institute researchers were singled out for their achievements. UOHI...

With more than 18,000 heath care professionals reportedly in attendance this past November in Dallas, Texas, the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions remains the largest meeting on the science and medicine of heart disease in the world. The impact of the University of Ottawa Heart...

Cigarette smokers face twice the risk of heart disease compared with non-smokers, and most of them—more than 60%—want to quit. About half of Canadian smokers try to kick tobacco every year. Unfortunately, the likelihood of success for those who attempt to quit on their own is dismal: fewer than 5%...

Sexuality is a fundamental part of being human. It’s a big part of our quality of life and a significant source of pleasure and intimacy. So it’s no surprise that concerns about sexual activity are common among people living with heart disease or recovering from a cardiac event. The worries and...

According to a recent Harvard University study, each year 1.65 million people die worldwide from high-sodium diets that lead to heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular disease. The review of existing research found that most people eat far more salt than recommended, and salt is a major...