Some Good News About Heart Disease

September 26 is World Heart Day. This is a great time to focus on cardiac wellness—for ourselves and for senior loved ones.

According to the Heart & Stroke Foundation, heart disease claims the lives of 69,000 Canadians each year. It is still the leading cause of death and has a major impact on the quality of life of seniors. But a recent study offers an optimistic message about heart health in Canada.

Dr. Harindra Wijeysundera, a cardiologist of the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, recently released results of a study which shows that deaths from heart disease decreased by 35% in Ontario between 1994 and 2005.

The reason? Dr. Wijeysundera says that improvements in lifestyle factors and medical treatments account for the positive trend:

• Fewer Canadians are smoking.
  
  
• The physical activity level of seniors is increasing.
  
  
• Patients are lowering their cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
  
  
• More people are taking heart medications and taking them correctly.

The Heart & Stroke Foundation reports similar statistics for the rest of Canada, with a 25% decline in cardiovascular disease in the last decade.

Can we rest on our laurels? Not just yet. Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of hospitalization throughout the country. Dr. Wijeysundera cautions, "Although it was encouraging to see that more people are making the necessary lifestyle changes and getting the treatment they need to look after their heart health, the news is not all good."

The study shows that the rates of diabetes and obesity rose, which meant that those two factors accounted for an increased number of heart-related deaths.

"What people living with coronary heart disease should take away from this study is that they have a lot of power when it comes to managing their heart disease," says Dr. Wijeysundera. "Lifestyle changes like exercising, eating right and not smoking are equally as important as medical treatment, so those factors need to be taken just as seriously."

Learn More

Dr. Wijeysundera discusses his new study in a video on the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre website.

Learn more about trends in heart health and find resources for heart healthy living on the Heart & Stroke Foundation.

The World Heart Federation sponsors World Heart Day.

Most of us know that exercise is important for heart health, but did you know it is also good for our brains, joints, mood—and almost every body system? Read on to learn how to help older loved ones get more exercise, and find out how at home senior care can help break the "cycle of inactivity."