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

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

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

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

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

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