Hope for the Heart treatments in February

Circle of Wellness — Physical
Hope for the Heart treatments in February
Arlen Panchoo

Heart disease is Canada’s number one killer, accounting for the death of more Canadians then any other disease. Every year approximately 75,000 Canadians suffer heart attacks alone.

Heart disease also poses the greatest financial burden on our healthcare system. According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, heart and cardiovascular diseases cost the economy over $18 billion a year.

Due to statistics like these, the Heart & Stroke Foundation has named February, ‘Heart Month.’ In the mid-1950s, British Columbia was the first province to adopt Heart Month. From there, it spread across Canada.

Today, tens of thousands participate in Heart Month, which is the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s largest fundraising effort. It includes various events in communities across North America. Heart Month sees volunteers donate their time and money to this campaign, whether it’s using online fundraising tools, or meeting with people going door-to-door to collect donations. Those volunteering from home get a personal website set up for them, so they can track the amount of donations they have received.

“The motto is put your heart into it,” says Melissa Shaw, Volunteer Coordinator for Heart Month in the Niagara, Ontario region.

Shaw says that in her region, speakers are sent out to businesses, community clubs, and health fairs to discuss ways of maintaining healthy hearts and bodies. She also says that one of the goals in her region is to get 30 organizations involved in promoting Heart Month to their employees and help raise funds.

“The added publicity that we receive during this month has an enormous impact on the success of this campaign,” says the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s website.

Different associations across the continent are raising funds and encouraging Heart Months through events like heart-healthy lunches and dinners, and are offering free blood pressure screening.

"Heart disease can affect anyone, young or old. I had no idea that there was a possibility that my child could be affected by heart disease," says Lana Day, whose daughter was born with heart disease. Emma’s story is on the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada’s website. "The Heart & Stroke Foundation has prevented the premature death of my daughter. I am so grateful for the research that helped save Emma’s life!"

The Heart & Stroke Foundations says that for every dollar received, 80% goes towards research that results in finding new treatments, diagnosing heart disease earlier, discovering new insights to preventing heart disease; and providing health education for both consumers and healthcare providers. The rest is used for fundraising and administration.

The foundation is aiming to raise over $6 million this year.

Another goal is to get people to take charge of their own heart health. “It all comes down to everyone making choices that enhance their health,” says cardiac expert Dr. William Dafoe, Regional Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation at the University of Alberta Hospital. In an interview with Your Health magazine, Dr. Dafoe warned that tests administered by doctors do not always expose all the risks. “Even with those tests, it’s still only an approximation of what is happening within the arteries of the heart. It’s like a car that looks OK and runs fine, yet things are corroding inside.”

Risk factors include smoking, physical inactivity, and diets that are high in saturated fats. Factors like heredity, high cholesterol levels, obesity, and diabetes can also play a role, says the Heart & Stroke Foundation, which also wants to use Heart Month to alert people of the risks.

According to the Edmonton-based integrated health organization Capital Health, 80% of all Canadians have at least one risk factor for developing heart disease or cardiovascular disease. Helen Stokes, Regional Program Manager for the Northern Alberta Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Capital Health, says that everyone should find out what their risk factors are. “Visit your family doctor and have the checks done," she says.

The most recent statistic from the year 2002 showed that nearly 75,000 Canadian deaths were caused by cardiovascular disease (which includes both heart disease and strokes). In the United States, cardiovascular disease caused over 685,000 deaths the following year. The Heart & Stroke Foundation says that in the year 2002, 32% of all male deaths and 34% of all female deaths were due to cardiovascular disease.

Some of the achievements of Heart Month include research that has led to in-utero heart treatments, essentially “saving babies’ lives before they’re even born,” says the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s website. Other examples of accomplishments include the movement to eliminate trans fats from processed foods in Canada.