News

Women@Heart Program

In 2013 The University of Ottawa Heart Institute launched the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre (CWHHC) because some startling metrics began to emerge with respect to women’s heart health. For example, 70% of what we know about heart disease is as a result of research conducted with men. Women were, and still are, under-represented in clinical trials, as they represented less than 30% of…

Posted on May 30, 2018

Meet The Expert

        Over 65 people attended the session at the Ritz Canal restaurant, in Ottawa. The informal setting allowed for a vibrant exchange between guests and speakers. For the occasion, a healthy menu was presented to guests who gathered in the scenic room to listen, learn and ask questions while enjoying the nice weather. Dr. Jennifer Reed, Registered Kinesiologist, Scientist, and Director…

Posted on May 29, 2018

Dear Patient Alumni Members

Dear patient alumni members: Thank you very much for supporting our “Survey of Patient-Centered Outcomes”. We received a great number of responses (1015 during the survey period!) and have used them to compile a purely patient-defined quality of life surrogate called “disability-free survival”. In other words, it’s survival with good quality of life, free from events that might lead to loss of personal independence…

Posted on May 26, 2018

LUCAS – Portable Chest Compression System

The University of Ottawa Heart Institute has recently purchased a chest compression device called the LUCAS (Lund University Cardiac Assist System) with the assistance of the Ottawa Heart Patient Alumni. High quality chest compressions are of critical importance for survival and good neurological outcome after cardiac arrest.  In some situations, effective chest compressions may not be possible, even when done by healthcare professionals. Mechanical…

Posted on May 21, 2018

Without the headlines, they continue to save lives at the Heart Institute

From the Ottawa Sun The term “heartbreaking loss” is used often in sports but the result on a scoreboard is nothing, of course, compared to the emotional pain experienced by every one of us at some point.  Truly heartbreaking is the loss of a friend or family member. A very loved one. Like Cliff Dunn, a great man who suffered a heart attack after…

Posted on January 24, 2018

Legalized Marijuana and Your Heart

Legalized marijuana will be a reality in Canada, likely by July 2018. This opening up of legal access will have a variety of health implications. In addition, marijuana is increasingly prescribed for much of what ails us, from the pain and inflammation of osteoarthritis to a host of other conditions, many of which affect seniors – the same people who are at greatest risk…

Posted on January 9, 2018

University of Ottawa Heart Institute Tackles Post-Operative Care for Women through Project Rise-Up

Anne Stolarik, an Advanced Practice Nurse for cardiac surgery at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, is offering female patients more than just a little post-op support. Find out how Project Rise-Up and the Heart Hugger bra are helping women recover from their operations. “This garment is especially important in pain management and overall comfort for our female patients after surgery. It helps to…

Posted on December 1, 2017

BRUISE CONTROL-2: Continued vs. Interrupted use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in Pacemaker or Defibrillator Surgery

Research attempts to answer the question of how to manage anticoagulants in patients at the time of device surgery. Dr. David Birnie and his colleagues conducted a 662-patient, multicentre, single-blind, randomized controlled trial at 15 centres in Canada and one in Israel between 2013 and 2017. “The bottom line is there was no difference between the two strategies. In both arms the event rate…

Posted on December 1, 2017

Heart Institute Among Lowest Mortality Rates in Canada According to New Report

Ottawa, October 31 – According to new indicators and a report released today by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), in collaboration with the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS), the University of Ottawa Heart Institute (UOHI) has among the lowest mortality rates related to selected cardiac interventions in the country. This is the first time results are publicly available in Canada for cardiac care…

Posted on November 16, 2017

Meet The Expert

        The University of Ottawa Patient Alumni Association held its third very successful Meet the Expert* session on September 26th. Entitled START THE CONVERSATION – A Woman’s Heart Health Across her Lifespan, nearly 100 people attended the session at the Canal Ritz to hear featured experts and patients share their knowledge and experience on prevention of women’s heart diseases and ways…

Posted on October 25, 2017

On-and-off fasting helps fight obesity

Researchers investigate why periods of sporadic fasting can be beneficial for the metabolism. Heidelberg | New York, 17 October 2017 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 study by Kyoung-Han Kim and Yun Hye Kim in the…

Posted on October 24, 2017

Delayed Diagnosis, Not Gender Affects Women’s Treatment for Heart Disease

Study debunks conventional wisdom pointing to gender bias in heart surgery CHICAGO, September 28, 2017 — Women with heart disease typically receive less complete surgical revascularization with arterial grafts than men do, but not because of gender bias. Instead, factors such as delayed diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women may contribute to the differences in treatment, according to a new study published…

Posted on October 3, 2017