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.
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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...
1. Heart Health Infographics An easy way to keep your heart health top of mind anytime 2. What’s Next for TAVI? Catheter-based aortic valve replacement looks to become an option for more patients if competition and demand bring down the cost of valves 3. 10 Tips for Emotional Health Our emotional...
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...
Martin Green, MD, vividly recalls the day in 1971 when he attended a medical school lecture on electrical activation of the heart, a subject that doctors and researchers were just beginning to explore. “There were 225 people in the class and 224 of them walked out saying ‘That was the worst lecture...
Interventional cardiologists at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute are championing broad-based innovation by using catheter-based procedures to treat a variety of conditions. This gallery highlights a minimally invasive procedure, called TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation), for...
New cardiac imaging technology at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute will allow physicians and researchers to greatly expand their pursuit of advanced heart function studies while ensuring shorter diagnostic wait times for patients. A new hybrid machine that combines computerized tomography...
In March of this year, following a two-year fellowship in Canada, Roshan Raut, MD, returned to his native Nepal as only the third doctor trained in cardiac electrophysiology in his country’s history and the first trained in complex ablation techniques. He was eager to get to work expanding the...
A study of gender differences in mitral valve surgery has generated interest in the professional community because it sheds light on an aspect of valve surgery that hasn’t been well-studied to date. “We know from the medical literature that women typically are referred for diagnostic tests and...
Each October, the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress (CCC) is the largest gathering of cardiovascular health professionals in the country. This year, the Heart Institute’s Dr. Rob Beanlands chaired what proved to be a highly successful meeting. Since CCC was last held in Vancouver in 2006, the...
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...