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

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

Some of the biggest news to come out of AHA this year was the results from preliminary clinical trials of two new LDL cholesterol-lowering drugs that show a substantial decrease in LDL levels well below the reductions seen with statins or ezetimibe alone. The new drugs belong to a class called PCSK9

Several Heart Institute staffers offered their expertise in invited talks touching on a broad range of topics. Scientist Erik Suuronen, PhD, uses tissue engineering techniques to develop methods for regenerating damaged heart muscle. In his presentation, called “The Matrix: Stem Cell Delivery

The use of stem cells for regenerating damaged heart tissue offers great potential, but many technical questions remain. Understanding which cell types are most beneficial and how they should be employed is a central issue. Several clinical trials involving stem cells were presented at AHA. Two were

Successfully managing heart failure is one the looming issues for cardiovascular medicine, with prevalence expected to grow significantly over the coming decades. The plenary session “Engineering Success in Heart Failure” looked at where things are headed, from therapy to devices to delivery of care