[Editor’s note: This article is an update of previously published story.] Nearly one in every 100 babies is born with some form of congenital heart disease (CHD). In the 1950s, only about 15% of these children with severe heart defects reached their 18th birthday. Today, with advances in treatment

Finding a gene associated with disease is one thing. Understanding how it increases the likelihood of contracting that disease can be quite another, especially a complex condition like heart disease. After five years, Heart Institute researchers now know how one genetic variant works and suspect

The second annual Ottawa Heart Research Conference convened on May 8, bringing together an enthusiastic community of scientists and trainees to share insights on personalized cardiovascular medicine. The theme was chosen in honour of former University of Ottawa Heart Institute President and CEO

The past decade has seen rapid progress in cataloguing the genetic factors driving heart disease risk. The University of Ottawa Heart Institute led the way, discovering the first and, to date, highest-impact common genetic variant linked to coronary artery disease. Many others have been found since

Since their first appearance in the late 1980s, the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have become one of the most widely prescribed classes of drugs ever produced. The medication is used to treat coronary artery disease (atherosclerosis) by lowering the amount of LDL cholesterol—the “bad” cholesterol—in the bloodstream.

Lana Gillard was used to going to the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. Her mother was a long-time patient there, suffering from chronic heart failure after many years of treatment and several open-heart surgeries. Gillard accompanied her to appointments and knew her mother was in excellent