Heart Institute CCC 2016 Program Guide
Nearly 70 Ottawa Heart Institute program items will be on tap this year at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in Montreal. Topics range widely across basic research, clinical research and clinical practice. Our program guide will help you find them all. A particular highlight will be the Heart
40th Anniversary Flashback: World's First Point-of-Care Genetic Test
In 2012, the promise of using genetic information to personalize patient care made a leap forward at the Ottawa Heart Institute, with the introduction of the RAPID GENE test. Patients who get a cardiac stent to open a blocked artery must take medication to prevent blood clots. Clopidogrel is most
40th Anniversary Flashback: Discovery of the Most Significant Genetic Risk Factor for Heart Disease
At the turn of the 21 st century, what we knew about the genetic underpinnings of heart disease was limited. There had been success in identifying inherited mutations that cause relatively rare heart rhythm and muscle disorders (arrhythmias and cardiomyopathies). But the genetics of common cardiac
Warning Sounded on Drugs that Pose Risk for Heart Failure Patients
A person living with heart failure may not think twice about popping an over-the-counter pill for pain, swallowing a vitamin with breakfast or drinking a cup of green tea. But they should. A scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA) released in July lists numerous prescription
A Way to Find and Stop Heart Attacks Before They Happen
In the film Minority Report, the police were able to see who was going to commit a murder before it happened, and then prevent it. Being able to do the same thing for heart attacks would be a major advance for cardiology—knowing who is going to have a heart attack and then preventing it from
Hybrid Operating Room: A Space Dedicated to Cross-Disciplinary Cardiac Care
When the dust settles on the Ottawa Heart Institute’s new addition in early 2018, one of the innovative new facilities to come online will be a hybrid operating room (OR). It will be a space for surgeons, interventional cardiologists, imaging specialists and other medical professionals to work side
Strong Showing in Race for Research Dollars
So far in 2016, Heart Institute researchers have won more than $7 million in research funding, including major awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada. Perhaps most remarkable is the Institute’s
Prevention Key to the Future of Cardiovascular Medicine
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
40th Anniversary Flashback: First Neonatal Heart Transplant in Canada
In 1989, Wesley Behm was born with a serious congenital defect. The left side of his heart was underdeveloped and his prospects for survival were poor. Doctors recommended a heart transplant—a procedure that had never been performed in Canada on an infant. Remarkably, a donor heart was found within
40th Anniversary Flashback: Princess Diana’s Visit
October 29, 1991 was a royal day at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. As part of the Canadian tour that Prince Charles and Princess Diana made that year, the Princess of Wales visited the Heart Institute on the Ottawa leg of their travels. Accompanied by Mila Mulroney, wife of Prime Minister