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In a Canadian Cardiovascular Society featured program item, cardiologist Thais Coutinho, MD, a recent Heart Institute recruit from the Mayo Clinic, presented interesting findings on arterial stiffness and hypertension. Globally, hypertension is the leading risk factor for death, yet only about half

The promise and challenges of cardiac regenerative medicine—facilitating the growth of new tissue to repair damage to the heart following a heart attack—received wide attention at CCC/Vascular 2013. The labs of University of Ottawa Heart Institute researchers Darryl Davis, MD and Erik Suuronen, PhD

In a randomized clinical trial, a Heart Institute group led by Bob Reid, PhD evaluated a program designed to impact the heart health of family members of patients with heart disease. “Family members of patients are in a teachable moment that gives us the opportunity to prevent them from becoming the

For patients experiencing an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most dangerous type of heart attack, treatment in a dedicated regional program saves lives. However the benefit specifically to elderly STEMI patients—aged 75 or older—from rapid treatment has not been clear. Among several

Lorraine Montoya Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) patients tend to be older than most cardiac patients and thus more likely to be frail. Assessment of frailty may hold value in predicting patient outcomes. In a pilot study presented by Heart Institute advanced practice nurse Lorraine

In an ideal world, there would be no need for the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. In an ideal world, everybody would eat a healthy diet, be physically active, not smoke—and in living this healthy life, minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in their lives. But this isn’t an ideal

Cardiac procedures are a study in teamwork. Whether inserting a stent, implanting a pacemaker or performing corrective surgery, a team of professionals, each with a different set of skills, works in unison to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient. “These are very much multidisciplinary

For decades, patients taking the anti-clotting drug warfarin who required the implantation of a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator have posed a dilemma. If they are at moderate to high risk of stroke caused by a blood clot, how are doctors to balance the risk of surgical bleeding

The Ottawa Heart Research Conference, hosted by the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, brought together an array of researchers that included leading figures from North America and Europe for a lively exploration of “Emerging Pathways in Cardiovascular Disease.” A recent conference mounted by the

Heather Tulloch, PhD, is a Clinical, Health and Rehabilitation Psychologist at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and an Assistant Professor with the Faculty of Medicine and the School of Psychology at the University of Ottawa. As staff psychologist in the Heart Institute’s Division of Cardiac