A recent conference in Washington, D.C., on cardiovascular research technologies hailed the success of life-saving strategies for emergency heart attack patients who suffer ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The Beat spoke about recent developments in these strategies with Dr. Michel Le May...
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All exercise is good, and some is better than none, but the health benefits of Nordic walking are superior, study finds. Cardiovascular rehab programs and exercise in general is known to improve the health of people with heart disease. However, less is known about whether such improvements are...
Pour yourself some eggnog and cozy up by the fireplace. Our holiday reading list is here! This year, our must-reads include articles about a better way to exercise, newly established research chairs, takeaways from a premier cardiovascular event, and the golden future of cardiac tissue repair. Here...
Nurses make up the largest professional group within the healthcare workforce and their work is perceived as being physically and mentally demanding. According to a National Survey of the Work and Health of Nurses in Canada conducted in 2005, an alarming proportion of Canadian nurses then reported...
Occupational therapy is proving to be one of the most important ways to avoid readmission to hospital. This was the finding of a study recently published in the journal Medical Care Research and Review which found readmission rates for heart patients were lower in hospitals that invested more in...
Cardiovascular disease is the world’s leading cause of death, but there are many behaviours you can change to decrease your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Online cardiovascular calculators, powered by big data and artificial intelligence (AI), are making it easier than ever before to help...
Atrial fibrillation is a complex condition in that its causes vary from person to person, impacting its underlying mechanisms, what triggers episodes and which treatments are effective in each individual. In addition, afib can be difficult to diagnose because it is often episodic nature and in some...
Much of modern health care is made possible by medical devices—the countless tools, equipment and instruments used in health care delivery and patient care. Pocket glucose monitors that check blood sugar levels on the go. Specialized retractors that support new surgical techniques. Cardiac stents...
Our top 5 stories of 2018 covered a variety of important heath topics: innovative techniques and technology, continuing medical education in Canada, tips for better managing stress, and, yes, recreational pot, too. 5 th position (Fluoro)Less is More When it Comes to Cardiac Ablation 4 th position...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Grab a mug of hot chocolate and gather ‘round the fireplace. These are our top stories from the past year.
A pocket hematoma is a pooling of blood around a device such as a pacemaker or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) following the implant procedure. Research led by the Ottawa Heart Institute has found that patients who experience a clinically significant pocket hematoma (CSH) are...
Being a patient at the Heart Institute can be unsettling—but it’s also safe. There is trained staff that will help with whatever patients need. Medication is brought when it’s time to take it and food meets the requirements for a heart-healthy diet. When it’s time to leave, though, it’s another...
Being a patient can be confusing and overwhelming. There can be a lot of new information to absorb at a time when patients are not feeling their best. Decisions are often necessary and the implications of those choices may not be clear. Recovery can involve following detailed instructions or making...
Dr. Thierry Mesana’s legacy as the valve surgeon at the helm of the Heart Institute lives on with significant endowment from a former patient Thierry Mesana, MD, is nearing the end of his second term as president and CEO of the University of Ottawa Heart Institute. The heart valve surgeon who...
Peer leaders are women who have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease and have a strong passion for supporting and helping other women in their recovery. Leaders must have come to terms with own cardiovascular diagnosis and be physically, emotionally and psychologically ready to help other women.
After Hope Sarfi had bypass surgery last year, she had good support from family and friends. They helped her out where they could, some learned about her condition and they listened to her concerns—everything you could want from those closest to you. But she felt something was missing. That...
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 takes time and nurturing to grow a top-flight hospital. The University of Ottawa Heart Institute, which began largely as an extension of the Ottawa Civic Hospital when its doors first opened in 1976, has matured to become Canada’s foremost cardiovascular centre. Superior expertise in surgical...
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...
Pregnancy is often described as a “stress test” that helps identify women who are at risk of developing chronic diseases later in life. To address this important clinical problem, we adapted our CardioPrevent® program to support high-risk women postpartum.