Federal Commitment to Fund Defibrillators and Related Training in Communities Across Canada will Save Lives

Defibulator at the Evergreen Seniors Community Centre - Guelph, Ontario

CONCEPTION BAY SOUTH, NL, April 21, 2011 /Canada NewsWire/ - Today Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a $10 million plan to fund life-saving automated external defibrillators and related training in hockey arenas and community recreation centres across Canada.

"Defibrillator placement and training are essential steps in helping Canadians save lives," says Bobbe Wood, CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. "This is an important policy recommendation which was identified in the Canadian Heart Health Action Plan."

Also at the Prime Minister's announcement was a cardiac arrest survivor who spoke about how CPR and a defibrillator saved his life after he collapsed during a hockey game.

Defibrillators are electronic devices used to restart a person's heart that has stopped beating. They are safe, easy to use, and can be operated effectively by the lay public.

Up to 85 per cent of all cardiac arrests occur in public settings or homes. Less than five per cent of victims who have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital survive. The early use of a defibrillator along with CPR before the arrival of emergency services can increase the individual's chance of survival by up to 75 per cent. This is critical, given that the survival rate decreases seven to 10 per cent with every passing minute.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation has been advocating for an increased number of defibrillators and training in communities to give Canadians the tools and knowledge they need to respond in the event of a cardiac arrest.

"The time between the onset of a cardiac arrest and the use of CPR and a defibrillator can mean the difference between life and death," says Wood. "These machines should be as readily available in Canadian communities as fire extinguishers - they are lifesavers."

As many as 45,000 cardiac arrests occur each year. That is about one every 12 minutes.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy. (heartandstroke.ca)

Stroke Expert: Upcoming Burden Tsunami of Vascular Diseases Can Be Prevented

Suggests multidisciplinary approaches in vascular health

MONTREAL, October 24, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - Canada urgently needs to focus on prevention of vascular diseases to avoid the burden from the expected tsunami of cases, says noted stroke expert Dr. Robert Côté, delivering the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC) Lecture at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress 2010.

"Vascular diseases could be considered Canada's biggest health problem," say Dr. Côté. "All of us will feel the impact in our lifetime."

Vascular diseases include many types of dementia under the term vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) as well as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke.

The most common vascular disease, atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries, accounts for more than a third of deaths in Canada each year.

Things are likely to get worse. Canadians are becoming less fit and more overweight and obese. We'll see more diabetes, more high blood pressure, more abnormal cholesterol levels in the blood - all resulting in more heart attacks and strokes.

"Vascular disease isn't just targeting our major blood vessels," says Dr. Côté. "In the brain, disease in the small blood vessels leads to tiny areas of damage that are associated with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. The prevalence of these small, undetected strokes increases with age, as does the damage that they cause to the brain over time."

Each of these diseases is a significant health burden, affecting millions of Canadians, but it is the increasing prevalence of dementia, especially as our population ages, which is most alarming.

"A specific challenge is the link between dementia and vascular disease of the brain, which is related to stroke," says Dr. Côté "The brain is a vascular organ, as much as the heart, if not more."

Recent reports estimate that the number of Canadians with dementia will increase from the current half million to over 1.1 million by 2038, resulting in costs to the Canadian economy of $153 billion per year.

"We need improved screening to better manage vascular risk factors," warns Dr. Côté, a professor of neurology at McGill University and a senior physician at the Montreal General Hospital. He says the best thing Canadians can do to reduce the burden of cognitive decline is to manage their vascular risk factors, especially high blood pressure, and diabetes.

"The risk factors are the same for all vascular diseases, including Alzheimer's," he says. "Simple measures such as smoking cessation, following a healthy diet, and physical activity will have the biggest impact in protecting the hearts and minds of our aging population."

Need for a comprehensive approach

We do not know enough about the causes of small blood vessel disease, so we know little about how to prevent it, detect it early or effectively treat it. Research in this area is limited and currently organized, like the healthcare system, around the different organs of the body - the heart, the brain, the kidneys.

"We urgently need to link researchers of these different diseases," says Dr. Côté. "By connecting the dots and developing a comprehensive approach that will help us understand more about the causal links between the various vascular diseases, this knowledge could inform health policies and practice."

The Canadian Heart Health Action Plan - supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation - recommends investment in the creation of a multi-site network in vascular health that would link expertise in centres across the country and improve our knowledge of the broad spectrum of vascular diseases.

The cost to forge this critical link between researchers and clinicians is approximately $8 million per year over five years.

"This investment would be an opportunity for Canada to lead in international research while protecting the health of Canadians," says Linda Piazza, HSFC director of research and health policy. "The problem is urgent and growing. Canada has the talent and a plan. We can't afford to wait any longer."

Dr. Côté also calls on all cardiovascular professionals - including cardiac surgeons, neurologists, cardiologists, and nurses - to recognize the connection between areas of vascular health.

"We want to build bridges and plant the seeds of vascular health to forge a path together towards the future."

Co-hosted by the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress is Canada's largest scientific conference, attracting close to 4,000 heart-health professionals from across the country.

Attendees representing 18 different organizations, including surgeons, pediatric specialists, cardiologists, nurses, rehab professionals, and others learn about the latest science and cutting-edge research. The congress runs from October 23 to 27 in Montreal.

Statements and conclusions of study authors are solely those of the study authors and do not necessarily reflect Foundation or CCS policy or position. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society make no representation or warranty as to their accuracy or reliability.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation (heartandstroke.ca), a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living, and advocacy.

HSF survey finds that only 40 per cent of Canadians trained in CPR would try to revive someone who has had a cardiac arrest

Heart and Stroke Foundation stresses one size doesn't fit all when it comes to resuscitation - Changes to new 2010 CPR & ECC Guidelines make it easier to save a life

OTTAWA, October 18, 2010 /Canada NewsWire/ - New emergency care guidelines simplify performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and highlight the need for high quality CPR by addressing some of the barriers to performing CPR. The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, co-author of the 2010 Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Emergency Cardiovascular Care (ECC), released the guidelines today.

The updated resuscitation guidelines have effectively mapped out a process of care based on the skill set of the rescuer, the situation and the resources available to respond. "In the past we limited ourselves by making the approach to resuscitation the same across all types of patients, all types of settings, and all types of rescuers," says Dr. Andrew Travers, chair of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada's policy advisory committee on resuscitation and one of the expert co-authors of the 2010 guidelines "We recognize that one size no longer fits all when it comes to CPR."

The new guidelines stress early recognition, urging people to call 9-1-1 or their local emergency number if they ever find someone collapsed and unresponsive, and not to delay by 'looking, listening and feeling' for breathing or pulse. They also recommend that instead of trying to remember how many compressions and how many breaths, bystanders doing CPR are urged simply to "push fast and push hard."

"Many people hold back from doing CPR because they are afraid they may do it wrong or that they may hurt the person," says Dr. Andrew Travers. "We want to make it clear that technique is less important than doing chest compressions quickly and firmly.

"Think of the '70s Bee Gees song Stayin' Alive and that will give you an idea of how fast compressions should be done."

The 2010 guidelines also note that to effectively move blood in the victim, compressions need to be fairly forceful. "Think about moving the heel of your hands up and down about two inches into the chest - or the height of your pinky finger," says Dr. Travers. "We want people to know that they can make a difference, even just by taking these simple actions. But doing something - including making that 9-1-1 call immediately - is crucially important."

The guidelines are reviewed every five years, and updated only when evidence is clear that changes will improve survival rates. The 2010 guidelines are based on input from 356 resuscitation experts from 29 countries, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) representatives and representatives of the American Heart Association and resuscitation councils of other countries. Hundreds of scientific evidence reviews were rigorously examined and resulted in the guidelines being updated in key areas.

The biggest update for healthcare providers and emergency medical services personnel involves changes to the order in which CPR skills are used: the first step should be chest compressions, followed by airway check then rescue breathing. This is a major change from previous guidelines which recommended compression as the third step, after an airway check and rescue breathing had been performed. This shortens the time to the first compression, a significant factor in reducing brain and heart damage following cardiac arrest.

"We recognize that compressions are fundamental key building blocks - other things are important, but not as important as compression, and that is why we changed the order," says Travers.

"These changes will help break down some of the barriers that keep people from doing CPR if they are faced with a cardiac emergency," says Linda Piazza, director of health policy and research with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

"Many Canadians want to help if they are ever faced with this type of situation, especially given the fact that four out of five cardiac arrests occur at home or in public places," she notes. "The changes announced today make CPR easier to learn, easier to do and we believe will make Canadians more likely to step in and respond to a cardiac emergency."

Only 40 per cent of Canadians would try to revive victim of Cardiac arrest

Currently, most victims of out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest do not receive any bystander CPR. To learn what barriers keep people from providing CPR, the Heart and Stroke Foundation recently surveyed Canadians on their willingness to act. The national survey found that while 62 per cent of Canadians said they had taken a CPR class, almost three-quarters reported that it was more than a year ago. And when asked what they would do if they saw someone having a cardiac arrest, just 40 per cent said they would try to revive the person.

Overall, the odds of surviving a cardiac arrest are almost four times greater if someone performs CPR right away. When CPR is combined with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), survival rates soar to 50 per cent and even greater, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation. Without CPR and defibrillation, fewer than 5 per cent of people who have a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive.

"Although barriers cited include lack of confidence, fear of failure and potentially injuring the victim, the reality is, that you can't help if you don't try - you can't hurt the cardiac arrest victim, if they don't live to see another day - and without CPR, that is the likely outcome," says Travers.

The Foundation recommends that all Canadians learn the life-saving skills of CPR and review this knowledge often. Learning and reviewing CPR skills has been made much easier with an at-home video kit, the Heart and Stroke CPR Anytime(TM) for Family and Friends(TM). The kit teaches the basic skills of CPR in as little as 22 minutes. People can review it at their leisure and share it with their families so that the skills can stay top-of-mind in case they are ever needed.

The 2010 resuscitation guidelines are available at www.heartandstroke.ca/CPRguidelines. Resuscitation and health care providers will be trained with the new guidelines in a series of sessions in the coming months.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (www.heartandstroke.ca) is an international leader in developing the science behind CPR and emergency cardiac care, and a leading funder of heart and stroke research in Canada. The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living and advocacy.

A Perfect Storm of Heart Disease Looming On Our Horizon

From the Heart and Stroke Foundation...

Heart disease has changed dramatically in a short period of time in Canada. It now includes groups that previously were thought to be immune to the disease. This has been the result of a combination of unhealthy habits that Canadians have adopted which has ultimately accelerated the impact of the threats as well as disregarding any progress that we have made.

High blood pressure, diabetes and obesity which have continuously been found to be a major culprit in the development of heart disease have increased dramatically. Stephen Samis, director of Health policy stated that “The magnitude of this problem has become so large, the only way forward is to implement a comprehensive, Canadian heart-health strategy that focuses on at-risk and disadvantaged populations, address the disparities between provinces and territories and integrates Canada’s fragmented system.

These groups include:

Young Canadian Adults - increased levels of inactivity, obesity, smoking high blood pressure and diabetes

The Aging population - One in five adults 50-64 years of age have two or more of the major risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and obesity. Residents in Newfoundland and Labrador are most at risk.

Canada’s Aboriginal people - Have far worse overall cardiovascular health than the general Canadian population.

Ethnic Populations - Canadians of south Asian and African-Caribbean are at an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. They may also develop heart disease 5 to 10 years earlier than other ethnic groups.

Women - Women have been found to be protected against hear disease until mid life but unfortunately this is beginning to be less accurate due to unhealthy habits.


In general there is an epidemic of inactivity and obesity. Canadians are also suffering from unhealthy eating habits with the majority not getting enough fruits and vegetables.

In order to achieve a more heart healthy population strategies need to include: create heart healthy environments; help Canadian lead healthier lives; end the cardiovascular health crisis among the aboriginals; continue health services reform, enhance prevention and care, develop heart health human resources.

There is no federally funded strategy for the number one killer of Canadians: heart disease and stroke. The heart health strategy and action plan was released in Feb 2009 but has not revieved funding. With an aging population and an increased threat seen amongst previously immune sub populations, this should be made a main priority. The key priorities at this time are the following:

- Improving the nutritional health of all Canadians and addressing the rising rates of obesity.

- Improving cardiovascular awareness and prevention among women and reducing care inequalities by funding public education initiatives, such as the Foundation’s Heart Truth campaign.

- Improving our understanding and management of cardiovascular health.
Developing a multi-year action plan to meet the cardiovascular needs of aboriginal people.

- Providing specific strategies to help at-risk and disadvantaged populations understand and manage their heart-health risk.

A Perfect Storm of Heart Disease Looming On Our Horizon... get report here as a .pdf file