Roughly half of our risk of getting heart disease is due to our genetics. The other half is due to age, lifestyle and other environmental factors. Of the genetic half, some of the risk comes from rare genetic variants that have a big impact on a person’s individual risk. Some comes from the additive...
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A research team at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute led by biochemist Yves Marcel, PhD, Director of the Heart Institute’s High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Biology Laboratory, has discovered a new function for a known cellular pathway: mobilization and exportation of cholesterol from cells.
For decades, researchers have known that the brain controls the diameter of the peripheral arteries, the vessels that carry blood to the arms, legs, hands and feet. Electrical impulses from the brain travel to these arteries through a network of nerves known as the sympathetic nervous system...
Almost no one complains about the food. It’s not that the food at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute is better than at other hospitals. But, said Sharon Ann Kearns, the Manager of Quality and Performance Measurement, when people are satisfied with their care and feel they have been well...
You have seven minutes, Dr. Chow. You may begin. Dr. Benjamin Chow was told he had seven minutes to pitch his idea. Seven minutes to describe and convey the importance of a groundbreaking medical technique. To explain how using it would improve access to healthcare for thousands of heart patients in...
Our editorial team is working from home to bring you a series of articles about the coronavirus. In this article, the fourth and final issue in our series, we acknowledge and thank our community for their support and donations of hand-sewn masks during the pandemic. Hospitals around the world are...
Our editorial team is working from home to bring you a series of articles about the coronavirus. This article, about a breakthrough innovation that can decontaminate used surgical masks, is the first in the series. N95 surgical face masks are an example of personal protective equipment used to...
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...
Hot, humid weather can place significant stress on the cardiovascular system. The Ottawa Heart Institute encourages everyone to follow these important tips below to keep cool this summer.
A good night’s sleep restores energy, improves performance and generally makes you feel better. Getting the right amount of sleep is also important for good heart health. A South Korean study of more than 47,000 adults found that people who sleep about seven hours a night have significantly fewer...
A recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests smartphone technology is diagnostically more accurate than traditional physical examination techniques to assess blood flow in arteries found in the wrist. The study was conducted at the University of Ottawa Heart...
Quitting smoking or vaping can feel overwhelming, especially since there is so much conflicting information out there. Understanding the facts can help you feel more confident and find the approach that works best for you.
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So far in 2016, Heart Institute researchers have won more than $7 million in research funding, including major awards from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada. Perhaps most remarkable is the Institute’s...
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...
In April of this year, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute expanded its ranks with a new surgeon who brings broad interests in new concepts and technologies that have the potential to improve patient outcomes. Crossing the Atlantic from the Clinique Saint-Luc Bouge in Namur, Belgium, David...
[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...
Cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, researchers, nurses and other cardiovascular specialists from across the country and around the globe travelled to Ottawa last week to attend the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress (CCC), the flagship event of the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) and the country’s...
Modern medical imaging allows doctors to see deep within the body in exquisite detail. Using small amounts of radioactive material called tracers, cardiologists can see in real time how well a patient’s heart is functioning. The positron emission tomography (PET) imaging group at the University of...
It can be difficult to talk to a child about a heart event or diagnosis, treatments, the prognosis, and the possible changes that may occur in your family as a result. If you are in this situation, here are 10 tips for discussing your heart condition with your child.