Broadly speaking, Canadians at risk for a heart attack know they need to improve their physical health. But not all do. In a recent study of residents of six Canadian provinces, almost one in five people with the highest cardiac risk did not think they needed to make any lifestyle changes to improve...
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Legalized marijuana is now a reality in Canada. This opening up of legal access will have a variety of health implications. In addition, marijuana is increasingly prescribed for much of what ails us, from the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis to a host of other conditions, many of which affect...
There are several inherent differences to the physical make up of a woman’s heart versus that of a man. For starters, a man’s heart is physically larger, weighing up to 60 grams more than a woman’s heart on average. Functionally there are differences, too. Arteries which feed a women’s heart with...
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...
The good news is that their hearts are in the right place. Women in Canada see themselves as their families’ “heart keepers,” playing a significant role in maintaining everyone’s heart health, whether it’s the food they serve, the physical activity they encourage, or the non-smoking households they...
After Hope Sarfi had bypass surgery last year, she had good support from family and friends. They helped her out where they could, some learned about her condition and they listened to her concerns—everything you could want from those closest to you. But she felt something was missing. That...
Hospitalization for pneumonia is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in middle-aged and older adults with no history of heart disease, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Presenting his findings at the University of...
As many as one in eight people don’t know they have prediabetes and are on the path to developing diabetes. Of Canadian adults, that is nearly 3.5 million people. Both prediabetes and diabetes are important contributors to heart disease. The findings, published recently in the American Journal of...
The health benefits of regular physical activity are well documented and hard to overstate, but too often they are left out of the doctor–patient conversation. In December 2015, JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, published the Viewpoint “ Making Physical Activity Counseling a...
Despite major advances in technology and treatment over the past several decades, cardiovascular disease is still the leading cause of death in the world. In fact, cardiovascular illness has continued to increase at an epidemic rate globally despite a general reduction in age-related mortality over...
To coincide with coverage of the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Summit, this edition of “Rapids Beats” is dedicated to news related to women and heart disease. Why Women Are Less Likely to Receive Statin Therapy Statin drugs, which lower cholesterol, are equally effective in men and women at...
You have seven minutes, Dr. Chow. You may begin. Dr. Benjamin Chow was told he had seven minutes to pitch his idea. Seven minutes to describe and convey the importance of a groundbreaking medical technique. To explain how using it would improve access to healthcare for thousands of heart patients in...
A recent study of close to 200,000 men and women found that shorter people are at higher risk of coronary artery disease than their taller counterparts, with every 2.5-inch (6.35-cm) change in height affecting their level of risk by 13.5%. This means that, if you are 5 feet tall, your risk of...
Hot, humid weather can place significant stress on the cardiovascular system. Bright sunlight, high humidity and lack of wind and shade challenge the body’s ability to dissipate heat and maintain a normal body temperature.
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...
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...
Heart Institute scientist says “get vaccinated as soon as possible” In April, The Beat interviewed Dr. Peter Liu, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s chief scientific officer, about coronavirus variants and how they are changing the pandemic landscape in Canada. Dr. Liu then appeared on an...
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%...
Your brain, heart and mind are intrinsically connected. They depend on one another. When one of them acquires a disease, scientists believe the others are also at increased risk. When you consider that heart disease and disorders of the brain and mind are the leading causes of mortality and...
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...