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CCC 2012: Heart Institute News and More

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

CCC 2012: Helping the Heart Heal

Regenerative medicine was widely discussed at CCC 2012, and Heart Institute researchers continue to innovate in harnessing the body’s own stem cells to fix or replace damaged cardiac tissue. Two Heart Institute graduate students presented research nominated for the Trainee Research Award in basic

CCC 2012: Refining Acute Cardiac Care

Patients who have a heart attack followed by return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), but not consciousness, have a poor prognosis. The neurological outcomes for these so-called ROSC patients can be aided by rapid cooling of the body (therapeutic hypothermia) in the cardiac catheterization lab, but

CCC 2012: Improved Quality of Life Despite Post-Surgical Brain Deficits

Patients placed on a heart-lung machine for heart surgery have a high incidence of neurocognitive deficits, including memory loss, attention deficits and decline in motor skills. New data from Heart Institute investigators provide some reassurance, though, that many of these deficits resolve over

CCC 2012: Cardiac Complications in Non-Cardiac Surgery

Within 30 days of non-cardiac surgery, one in 10 patients will have a major vascular complication. In the CCC State-of-the-Art lecture, Dr. PJ Devereux of McMaster University brought to the fore work being done to reduce myocardial injury after non-cardiac surgery (MINS). Surgery is stressful, and

CCC 2012: New Approaches for Imaging Clinical Outcomes

Imaging, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and echocardiography, is vital for diagnosing heart disease, but it can also be used in new ways to assess the progress of disease or treatment. Tracking the Impact of Diabetes with PET James Haley, a master’s candidate at the Heart Institute

UOHI at CCC 2012: Honours for Heart Institute Staff

Several Heart Institute staff members were the recipients of significant honours at this year’s congress. Foremost of these were Dr. Robert Roberts, Heart Institute President and CEO, and Dr. Lyall Higginson. A Pioneering Researcher Dr. Roberts received the Canadian Cardiovascular Society’s Research

CCC 2012: Extending Findings from the RAFT CRT Trial

The Heart Institute’s landmark RAFT trial, released in 2010, showed that cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) in combination with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) device reduces the risk death by 24 per cent in patients with mild to moderate heart failure. Two new studies mined

CCC 2012: The Intersection of Diabetes and Heart Disease

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

AHA 2012: Heart Institute News and More

Once again, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute had more than 40 clinical and research presentations on the program at the annual American Heart Association Scientific Sessions. These, along with other major developments in the world of cardiovascular medicine, made for a lively conference. New