Roughly half a million Canadians live with heart failure. The condition is an increasingly common one that can seriously impact an individual’s quality of life. Even when appropriately treated, hospital admission and readmission rates are stubbornly high. Traditionally, therapeutic implants called

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%

It was a cold November night in 2008. All was quiet save the wind whistling through the bare trees, dark against the evening sky. Inside the computed tomography (CT) suite of the Ottawa Heart Institute, a small group stood hushed with anticipation. It would be a night that none of them would ever

Occupational therapy is proving to be one of the most important ways to avoid readmission to hospital. This was the finding of a study recently published in the journal Medical Care Research and Review which found readmission rates for heart patients were lower in hospitals that invested more in

The world’s largest cardiovascular conference, the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, convenes in New Orleans on November 12. The Ottawa Heart Institute has 45 program items on the agenda covering a wide range of science and clinical practice. Find it all with our program guide. 2016

Survival rates for cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting are poor. Only about 5% of people survive, though encouraging people to get trained in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the placement of defibrillators in public places like sports and recreation facilities have improved the