News

Cardiac PreHab Aims to Better Prepare Patients for Surgery

Cardiac rehabilitation, a comprehensive program to get patients healthy again after heart attack, cardiac surgery or other cardiac events, has been shown to save lives. But what if patients waiting for non-emergency heart surgery could start improving their health before their procedure? Could that

Minister of Health Announces $2.9 Million for Heart Institute Researchers

February is Heart Month, and the federal Minister of Health, the Honourable Jane Philpott, chose to kick it off by coming to the Ottawa Heart Institute to announce $2.9 million in funding for five of its researchers. Heart disease is the second-leading cause of death in Canada. This funding, through

New Imaging Tracer Helps Guide Heart Failure Care

Not all treatments work in all patients, but often it’s not possible to know ahead of time who will benefit. The Ottawa Heart Institute recently became the first centre in Canada to use a new radioactive tracer clinically to better define the prognosis of a patient in heart failure. The tracer

The Truth about Sexual Health and Heart Disease

Sexuality is a fundamental part of being human. It’s a big part of our quality of life and a significant source of pleasure and intimacy. So it’s no surprise that concerns about sexual activity are common among people living with heart disease or recovering from a cardiac event. The worries and

Top 10 Stories of 2016 from The Beat

1. Heart Health Infographics An easy way to keep your heart health top of mind anytime 2. What’s Next for TAVI? Catheter-based aortic valve replacement looks to become an option for more patients if competition and demand bring down the cost of valves 3. 10 Tips for Emotional Health Our emotional

Mental Capacity Not Affected by Cholesterol or Blood Pressure Drugs (AHA 2016)

With populations aging in much of the world, the decline of mental capacity in later years is of increasing concern. There has been hope in the medical community that effectively treating high blood pressure and atherosclerosis could slow or delay this decline. In a study of people over the age of

40th Anniversary Flashback: A Year of Turning 40

As 2016 winds down, the Ottawa Heart Institute can look back on a remarkable 40 th anniversary year that brought together the extended Heart Institute community in celebration and appreciation. Congratulations Political leaders, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, reached out to share their

Looking for New Ways to Target Powerful Cholesterol-Lowering Mechanism (AHA 2016)

A class of anti-cholesterol drugs called PCSK9 inhibitors has been in the press lately, and for good reason: they can reduce blood cholesterol levels substantially beyond what a statin alone can achieve. Two have made it to market so far for treating coronary artery disease, with more likely to come

Imaging Technology Expected to Enhance Patient Access to Cardiac PET Tests

Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is a test used to assess the flow of blood to the heart muscle in patients with suspected or existing coronary artery disease, the most common form of heart disease. A sophisticated Canadian technology is expected to significantly enhance access to positron

Has the Time Come for Precision Medicine? (CCC 2016)

Precision medicine, tailored care, personalized medicine—these catch phrases all have been used over the last decade to represent similar visions for fundamentally changing the way health care is provided. The goal, in the broadest sense, is to move away from delivering care based on population