Heart Health For Canadians

To be published in co-operation with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Every seven minutes in Canada, someone dies from heart disease or stroke. When we think of the typical heart patient, we imagine an older, grey-haired, overstressed man, but the face of heart disease has changed. Heart disease and stroke are now equal-opportunity killers. Despite the fact that heart disease kills more Canadian women each year than all forms of cancer combined, it’s not a problem that’s widely talked about. Dr. Beth Abramson is passionate about changing this by providing Canadian families with the knowledge to prevent, recognize and recover from heart disease. As a respected cardiologist and a national spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, Dr. Abramson has spoken to doctors, patients and people across the country about the realities of heart health. Some of what she has to say is quite surprising, like the fact that there’s no real physical difference between a woman’s heart attack and a man’s, just a psychological difference in how we view them. Heart Health for Canadians is the definitive book on heart disease for the thousands of Canadian women and men who are diagnosed each year. It takes a full-spectrum approach to heart disease, covering prevention, symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, recovery, new research and alternative therapies. It educates Canadians on how to be better advocates for themselves and for their loved ones by offering support and guidance through our complicated healthcare system. And it offers more complete information on women’s heart health. You never want a family member to be diagnosed with heart disease; but if it happens, you want Heart Health for Canadians by your side.

In Canada, cardiovascular disease prevention is one of a number of public health issues being addressed through a combination of health promotion and disease prevention approaches. This report examines the results and implications of 10 Provincial Heart Health Surveys which were carried out between 1986 and 1992 within the context of the Canadian Heart Health Initiative.

The Canadian Heart Health Initiative (CHHI) is a multi-level strategy for the prevention of cardiovascular disease, the major cause of death & disability and of rising health care costs in Canada. This report begins with an overview of the CHHI, including the strategies employed. Chapters two & three present data from a process evaluation of the CHHI, including resource inputs to the provincial heart health programs, a profile of the projects undertaken relative to the key strategies used, the risk factors addressed, the populations targeted, and settings through which interventions were delivered. Chapter four focusses on lessons learned and reviews contextual influences, resource issues, organizational management structures, evaluation strategies, and technical support provided. The final chapter presents conclusions of the evaluation & makes recommendations for future action.

Cardiovascular disease is Canada's #1 killer, and although Canadians are becoming more aware of its symptoms and the preventative measures available, there are few authoritative and comprehensive texts for the average patient. In a unique and important partnership, Dr. Brian Baker, a psychiatrist who specializes in treating patients with heart disease, and Dr. Paul Dorian, one of Canada's leading cardiologists, have written a groundbreaking book based on their extensive clinical experience and research into heart disease. What they have found is that there are undeniable links between one's state of mind and the ability to recover from heart attacks and other coronary heart events. The two doctors examine both the psychological and the medical experience of coronary artery disease, providing insight and specific strategies at every stage -- plans that are useful, straightforward, and successful. This unique approach to heart health, with its balanced focus on body and mind, is an indispensable guide to recovery for those suffering from heart disease at any stage, and for those closest to them.