Archive

Although most cases of high blood pressure have no easily identifiable cause, the condition’s effects are clear, including increased risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure. The medical consensus is that using medications to lower blood pressure benefits patients, but how low has remained an

Sugar has been getting a lot of negative attention lately. American cities have tried to ban extra-large soft drinks. The Canadian Diabetes Association and some municipalities want a tax imposed on sugar-sweetened beverages. Some articles claim certain kinds of sugar are worse for you than others

Thanks to advances in gene sequencing technology that have made better, faster, and cheaper exploration of variations in the human genome possible, scientists have spent the last decade in a mad dash to catalogue the genetic variations associated with acute and chronic diseases. But identifying

Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a dangerous condition that is not well understood. It primarily affects women in their 30s to 50s who have no standard risk factors for heart disease. A tear forms in the wall of an artery allowing blood to pool between the inner and outer layers of

A form of heart failure known as heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF, pronounced “hefpef”) is becoming more common but remains poorly understood. No effective treatment options exist. Women are twice as likely to suffer from HFpEF as men, but the reasons for this are also unclear

In the United States, comparative rankings of hospitals based on the quality of their cardiovascular (CV) care are easily available online and in the mainstream media. In Canada, this information is almost entirely unavailable, but a new joint initiative of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS)

A number of Ottawa Heart Institute staff and trainees were honoured at this year’s Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, recognizing their accomplishments at both early and established phases of their careers. Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Research Achievement Award Rob Beanlands, Chief of

Cancer and heart disease are the two leading causes of death. As we live longer lives, we are more likely to eventually have one or the other. But for many cancer patients, treatment of their condition makes it much more likely that they will have to deal with both. More people are surviving cancer

Many of the patients admitted to hospital with a STEMI heart attack (ST-elevation myocardial infarction) have major blockages in blood vessels other than the one directly responsible for the heart attack. The best strategy for treating these patients remains an open question for cardiologists

The American Heart Association Scientific Sessions is the largest conference for cardiovascular science and medicine in the world. The staff of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute is once again responsible for many expert clinical talks and research presentations. This guide highlights those