Archive

Project Rise-Up: Helping Women Recover from Cardiac Surgery

One thing we know about women’s hearts is that they are different. Gender differences have been identified in the recognition, treatment and recovery from heart disease related illness, but there are anatomical differences that can affect a woman’s recovery from cardiac surgery. One post-surgical

Intermittent fasting helps fight obesity

Did you know periods of sporadic fasting can be beneficial for the metabolism? Up to sixteen weeks of intermittent fasting without otherwise having to count calories helps fight obesity and other metabolic disorders. Such fasting already shows benefits after only six weeks. This is according to a

Heart Institute CCC 2017 Program Guide

Nearly 70 Ottawa Heart Institute program items will be on tap this year at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress in Vancouver. Topics range widely across basic research, clinical research and clinical practice. Our program guide will help you find them all. Download the 2017 Canadian Cardiovascular

Making the Diagnosis: Why Cardiac Sarcoidosis Should Be on Cardiologists’ Radar

It was Anne McAllister, a 56-year-old lawyer living in Ottawa who first sparked Dr. David Birnie’s interest in a rare but potentially deadly heart condition just over a decade ago. McAllister was experiencing frequent spells of arrhythmia. Her heart rate changed from rapid to slow without any

Living on a Salt-Restricted Diet

But living on a salt-restricted diet can be a challenge. “It’s really hard to know how much sodium is in food because you don’t see it,” explained Kathleen Turner, a registered dietitian with the Division of Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation at the Ottawa Heart Institute. “It just disappears

Charting a Course for Women’s Heart Health in Canada

In 2016, the first Canadian Women’s Heart Health Summit marked the only national gathering focused on women’s heart health in over 15 years. Now, as planning for the 2018 Summit moves into full swing, the organizers have published a summary of the results from the 2016 event in the Canadian Journal

Many People at Risk of Heart Attack See No Need to Improve Their Health

Broadly speaking, Canadians at risk for a heart attack know they need to improve their physical health. But not all do. In a recent study of residents of six Canadian provinces, almost one in five people with the highest cardiac risk did not think they needed to make any lifestyle changes to improve

Dr. Thais Coutinho: On Preventing Heart Disease and Helping Patients Recover

The Division of Prevention and Rehabilitation at the Ottawa Heart Institute is home to a variety of evidence-based wellness programs, inpatient and outpatient cardiac rehabilitation, the widely adopted Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation and an active research program. On May 1, 2017, Thais Coutinho

How Air Pollution Can Impact Your Heart Health

Whether you live in a large urban centre with frequent smog advisories or in a more rural setting, the air you breathe can pose significant risks for developing cardiovascular distress and disease. While children, the elderly and those with diabetes, lung disease or existing heart conditions are

Preclinical Cardiovascular Research Found Lacking in Scientific Rigor

Clinical trials, medical studies performed on people, are held to high standards. The researchers running them endeavour to include a diverse group of participants, both men and women. Trial participants are randomly assigned to the treatments being compared, and trial staff measuring the outcomes