News

A recent study of close to 200,000 men and women found that shorter people are at higher risk of coronary artery disease than their taller counterparts, with every 2.5-inch (6.35-cm) change in height affecting their level of risk by 13.5%. This means that, if you are 5 feet tall, your risk of

Each of us breathes in 10,000 or more litres of air every day, so it’s no surprise that the quality of that air can impact our health. Whether in large urban centres or more rural settings, air pollution can be a fact of life. As it turns out, these airborne pollutants—ground-level ozone, nitrogen

Whether it’s watching television, going for a long drive or spending hours in front of a computer, sitting for long periods of time increases your risk for a variety of health problems, even if you get regular exercise. While regular exercise is key to preventing heart disease, obesity and diabetes

Hospitalization for pneumonia is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in middle-aged and older adults with no history of heart disease, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Presenting his findings at the University of

Arrhythmias — disturbances of the heart’s normal rhythm—affect more than 1.5 million Canadians and can impact a person’s health and well-being in a variety of ways. Sudden cardiac death caused by an arrhythmia kills 40,000 people every year. An estimated 350,000 Canadians are living with atrial

A device about the size of a smartphone is enabling cardiologists to generate images of patients’ hearts at the point of care, enabling them to make more informed diagnoses and even intervene earlier. The result? Improved care and outcomes, and possibly even reduced health care costs. The device is

Heart failure is an insidious disease. Its symptoms can be vague—including shortness of breath, swelling of the ankles and fatigue. Too often, patients and family doctors miss the warning signs entirely, explained Peter Liu, MD, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President of Research at the

It was a cold, wintery morning on January 15 when a crowd of well-wishers joined numerous city and provincial dignitaries to celebrate the groundbreaking for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s expansion project. Many years in the making, the expansion will have a substantial impact on the

A study of gender differences in mitral valve surgery has generated interest in the professional community because it sheds light on an aspect of valve surgery that hasn’t been well-studied to date. “We know from the medical literature that women typically are referred for diagnostic tests and

In October, a crane carefully lowered the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s first dedicated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner into a narrow access way so that it could be rolled through the exterior wall of the building and into position. By early December, the new MRI facility was fully