The repetitive nature of caring for a loved one recovering at home can be emotionally draining for a caregiver. Tasks such as helping that loved one get out of bed each morning, dress, bathe and eat can also be physically challenging. When a recovering patient can carry out these activities of daily...
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Communicate, Communicate, Communicate Communication is the foundation of any good relationship. This becomes even more important when dealing with the upheavals and uncertainties of cardiovascular disease. “Life-threatening events threaten bonds,” said psychologist Heather Tulloch, PhD. “It’s...
Several leading voices in cardiovascular medicine spoke out strongly at this year’s Congress about the looming crisis in health care and the need for the system to finally take prevention seriously. This message rang out from both sides of the border and took centre stage (that is “center” for our...
The Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation is a highly successful and widely adopted program for getting hospitalized patients to quit smoking. The intervention is most effective when support continues beyond discharge. Staff follow-up is a resource-intensive approach to maintaining patient contact...
A review of 25 years of heart transplant cases showed that the surgical procedure is a highly effective form of treatment. Cardiac surgeon Dr. Marc Ruel presented findings from 461 Heart Institute transplant patients showing that survival rates are high. This is particularly true over the past...
In a symposium called “Evolution in Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapies in Canada 2000-10,” leading figures discussed the changes seen over the previous decade in prevention, imaging, interventional cardiology and surgery. Two of those leading figures were Heart Institute physicians. Dr. Andrew...
In a featured research presentation, surgical resident Dr. Joel Price discussed the use of a low-tech simulator to give trainee surgeons after-hours practice time to hone their technique. Surgical skills are usually learned directly on patients in the OR, but a variety of evolving issues are making...
Dr. Michel Le May, Director of the Heart Institute Regional STEMI Program, discussed the impact of bleeding on mortality in patients referred to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; angioplasty and stenting) through the STEMI heart attack program. Patients who had a major or minor...
Each year, the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress draws thousands of professionals from across the country to share their expertise and learn about the latest developments in cardiovascular medicine. The Heart Institute continued to increase its impact with more than 125 program items (pdf), not to...
An Overview from the Cardiovascular Perspective Diabetes is a large and growing problem in Canada, with diabetic patients at much greater risk for dangerous cardiovascular events, including recurrent heart attacks and the development of heart failure. Because it’s such a major contributor to heart...
Minimally invasive cardiac surgery (MICS) is staking a middle ground between open-heart surgery and catheter-based procedures. Not surprisingly, there are pluses and minuses with each specific procedure, and some are more established than others. All offer the advantages of keeping the heart beating...
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...
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...
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...
For patients experiencing an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most dangerous type of heart attack, treatment in a dedicated regional program saves lives. However the benefit specifically to elderly STEMI patients—aged 75 or older—from rapid treatment has not been clear. Among several...
Lorraine Montoya Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients tend to be older than most cardiac patients and thus more likely to be frail. Assessment of frailty may hold value in predicting patient outcomes. In a pilot study presented by Heart Institute advanced practice nurse Lorraine...
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...
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...
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...
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...