Catheter ablation had substantially better outcomes over aggressive drug therapy A Canadian-led clinical trial has demonstrated that catheter ablation – a procedure used to treat dangerous heart rhythms by inserting wires into the heart to cauterize short circuits – is a better treatment option for recurrent ventricular tachycardia (VT) than increased drug therapy. VT is a rapid deadly heartbeat that often causes sudden death. “VT caused by heart attack scar can be very difficult to deal with, and can have quite a severe impact on both survival and quality of life,” said Dr. John Sapp, principal investigator, CANet investigator, electrophysiologist at QEII Health Sciences Centre and professor of medicine at Dalhousie University. “Until now, we really didn’t know what the best treatment was when our first-line drug therapy wasn’t enough.  Heart rhythm researchers across Canada and patients who suffer from VT worked together to discover that catheter ablation is a better option for most than increasing the drug dosages.” The multicenter, multi-national study, Ventricular Tachycardia Ablation versus Enhanced Drug Therapy in Structural Heart Disease (VANISH), was published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and announced simultaneously at the late-breaking clinical trials session of the Annual Scientific Conference of...

As National Volunteer Week 2016 wraps up, we want to share ideas for volunteering in ways that can support Canadian heart rhythm health. The Heart and Stroke Foundation depends on volunteers to help support its mission. There are many different ways that you can help, from riding the Big Bike to doing office administrative work. Click here for information and to find out what opportunities are available in your province! It is also starting an exciting new project called Heart and Stroke Healing Circles, where women support each other as survivors of heart disease. Click on the link if you are interested in joining! You can also look to your local health care centres to see if there are any volunteer opportunities there – like the volunteers of the Heart Institute Auxiliary who support the University of Ottawa Heart Institute, or the volunteer patients at the University of British Columbia Department of Medicine. And if you really want to roll up your sleeves and get involved, you can look into volunteering for a clinical trial – like this one, running in several locations across Canada!

Here’s the latest Roundup of arrhythmia-related news, events and stories that caught our eye! Not just a guilt-o-meter – read about a man whose fitness tracker may have saved his life! Not just a poetic idea – Danish researchers are suggesting that it is possible to die of a broken heart. No longer just a bystander – The Heart and Stroke Foundation has created the Cardiac Arrest Action App –  Call. Push. Restart. – to help prepare people to take action if they see someone experiencing cardiac arrest. Not just a heart issue – the American Heart Association reports that irregular heartbeat may affect physical performance in older adults. And finally, men are from Mars … but women have the same cardiac symptoms as men. They just describe them differently.

Here’s the latest Roundup of arrhythmia-related news, events and stories that caught our eye. Are you caring for someone with a long list of prescriptions to take? A Toronto pharmacist created this checklist of questions to help patients keep track of meds. Everything is connected! Keep your heart healthy for your brain’s sake! Heart Health is Linked to Brain Health: Study Hockey players are really stepping up to the plate! (Sorry, can’t think of a good hockey metaphor…) First Jakub Voracek’s #ACzechforHearts, and now Richard Peverley is raising money for portable defibrillators in his hometown of Guelph, ON. We may have mentioned this a few dozen times, but here’s another example of why everyone should be trained in CPR: Quick thinking saves man’s life And in case you missed it, our most recent blog post talked about Women’s Heart Health.

For International Women’s Day 2016, the theme was Pledge for Parity. When it comes to recognizing and treating heart health issues, there is clearly a need to bring women’s care up to par. This month, the European Society of Cardiology showed that women who had a cardiac arrest in public were less likely to receive life-saving support from bystanders than men in the same situation. In fact, women were more likely to experience cardiac arrest in the presence of bystanders, but still received help less often than men. But it’s not just the general public – the Globe and Mail tells this tale of a woman who went to the ER with symptoms of a heart attack but was diagnosed as having acid reflux and sent home. And former Olympic figure skater Isabelle Brasseur suffers from vasodepressor syncope, but lived for 20 years with an incorrect diagnosis of epilepsy before doctors recognized and properly treated her heart condition. There is still a widely-held and false assumption that ‘women don’t get coronary artery disease’ and it is adversely affecting the quality of care that women receive. Luckily, the University of Ottawa Heart Institute is tackling these issues head-on at the Canadian...

Here’s the latest Roundup of arrhythmia-related news, events and stories that caught our eye. Are you or your care-recipient struggling to make healthier choices? The New England Journal of Medicine recently hosted “Patient Engagement: Behavioral Strategies for Better Health“. It’s geared towards health care professionals, but the content is helpful for everyone – especially Topic 1: Health Behaviors and Habits. (Note: you need to register to watch the video.) Experts recommend approaching such changes by setting small, achievable goals. The Heart & Stroke Foundation is here to help, with tips for Healthy Eating, Made Easy. Jakub Voracek of the Philadelphia Flyers is promoting awareness about sudden cardiac arrest! Everytime the Flyers win in sudden death overtime, Voracek is donating $1,000 to Simon’s Fund, a charity dedicated to raising awareness about the conditions that lead to sudden cardiac arrest and death in young athletes and children. Follow the hashtag #ACzechforHearts for details. What have we been up to? CANet Network Investigator Dr. Robert Hamilton is quoted in this article, Young ICD Recipients Often Face Complicated Course. Dr. Robert Sheldon, a CANet Network Investigator and the Syncope Track Captain, discussed research findings in this piece: Driving and Vasovagal Syncope? Serious Accidents, Harm...

(Montreal, February 15, 2016) Baylis Medical’s new streamlined transseptal system, licensed in Canada, comprised of a radiofrequency active pigtail guidewire and a steerable sheath, brings new possibilities to patients suffering from heart failure. Dr. Jaimie Manlucu, treating physician, CANet Investigator, and member of the Arrhythmia Service at London Health Sciences in London, Ontario noted that a significant number of heart failure patients who are candidates for cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) often have suboptimal outcomes with conventional implant techniques.  Placing CRT pacing wires into the left heart through the atrial septum is a promising alternative approach, but can be challenging without dedicated tools. “This innovative transseptal system from Baylis Medical is the first commercially available apparatus that optimizes transseptal access from an alternate superior approach,” said Dr. Manlucu. “Streamlining the transseptal aspect of the implant procedure allows us to provide this therapy in a reliably safe and efficient way.” “We are pleased to have developed this streamlined access method to the left atrium that enables physicians to deliver their therapies.” said Kris Shah, president of Baylis Medical. “Access to CANet’s leading-edge network of investigators allows us to validate our therapies and move them to the market – and bring relief to...

Did you know that cardiac arrest and a heart attack are not the same thing? Cardiac arrest is usually caused by abnormal heart rhythms, or arrhythmias. Using an automated external defibrillator is the best way to shock the heart back into rhythm. During a heart attack, a blockage has caused the heart to slow, but it typically continues to beat. Prompt treatment is critical, to prevent extensive damage to the victim’s heart. Do you need an easy way to remember the difference? Cardiac arrest is a problem with the electrical system, and a heart attack is a problem with the plumbing. Knowing the difference, and being prepared to offer the best, most appropriate first aid could save a life. Reducing Canada’s sudden cardiac death rate by 10% is one of CANet’s primary targets. Click here to learn more about CANet’s plan to address arrhythmia care in Canada.

On October 13, 2015, Claire Crawford was playing in a high school volleyball match when she went into cardiac arrest. Well-trained and quick-thinking staff called 911, started performing chest compressions, and retrieved the on-site automatic external defibrillator (AED) to defibrillate (“shock”) the heart back into rhythm. Claire’s parents had set up a camera in the stands to film the game and recorded the entire event. Click here to watch it, but be warned that you may find the footage graphic. Eleven minutes after Claire collapsed, paramedics arrived on the scene. Without the trained staff and the access to an AED, this story likely would have had a tragic ending. It didn’t, because staff initiated the first three steps in the cardiac chain of survival. Up to 40,000 sudden cardiac arrests occur in Canada each year – that’s one every 12 minutes. If the victim does not have access to immediate treatment, most outcomes will be fatal. But, according to the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada, when someone immediately begins CPR, and an AED is available, the chance of survival may be increased by 75 per cent or more. And use of an AED combined with CPR and emergency medical...

February is Heart Month! How will you celebrate? You could join the University of Ottawa Heart Institute’s new Heart2Hearts campaign – make a pledge to take on a heart-healthy challenge and support the Institute. You could canvass for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, or find other creative ways to offer support, like Diana Hannah has by donating a portion of the sales of her book. In between fundraising activities, you could sit back and read about Larry Bird’s arrhythmia issues, and the differences between an athletic and a non-athlete’s heart. You can even help the cause just by going to a hockey game! If you’re in Saskatchewan, go to the Estevan Bruins game on February 12, or check out these Manitoba Junior Hockey League games. Or if you feel like dressing up, check out Norton’s Razzle Dazzle Gala in Charlottetown, or the Heart Beat Gala in Timmins.   However you choose to mark the occasion, have an active and heart-healthy month!