Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention
Every year, 1 in 5 Canadians die from Heart Disease or Stroke. Healthy behaviors can delay the onset of both conditions by as much as 14 years.
Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention
Every year, 1 in 5 Canadians die from Heart Disease or Stroke. Healthy behaviors can delay the onset of both conditions by as much as 14 years.
Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention
There are many different types of cardiovascular disease (CVD; also known as heart disease) which has led to several different treatment options. At C-era, prevention of heart disease and stroke is our top priority. While some patients are referred to us with risk factors that increase the likelihood of experiencing a stroke or heart attack, others arrive at our clinic after these events have already occurred.
At C-era, we not only focus on preventing CVD and stroke, but we also optimize the medical management of known disease to protect you from having repeat events or worsened health outcomes.
Atherosclerosis
Atherosclerosis is a buildup of plaque on the inside of your artery walls all throughout the body. Plaque is a sticky substance made from cholesterol and waste products found in the bloodstream. These plaques narrow your blood vessels making it harder for blood to flow through your body.
Angina
Angina, or chest pain, occurs when the heart does not receive enough blood and oxygen, causing a squeezing or burning pain. Angina is a warning sign from your heart that something is wrong; if you experience chest pain see a doctor immediately.
Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease. It is essentially atherosclerosis in the vessels of the heart. This build up of plaque in the arteries supplying your heart can lead to chest pain and heart attack.
Myocardial Infarction (MI)
A myocardial infarction, better known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood flow to your heart’s muscle becomes blocked. Often, this occurs when plaque build-up starts to break apart along the walls of the heart’s arteries. This causes a blood clot to form and keeps blood and oxygen from flowing to the heart’s muscle. The heart can continue to beat during a heart attack, but if it remains untreated, parts of the heart muscle will soon die and stop working. Some heart attacks lead to cardiac arrest where the entire heart suddenly stops beating.
Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart has sustained damage due to CVD or heart attack(s). This causes the heart to become weak and unable to pump blood around the body. This inability to pump blood can lead to a buildup of fluid in the lungs and other parts of the body; this may cause symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, or swelling in the arms and legs. Heart failure is a serious, chronic condition without a cure; however, lifestyle changes can help people with CHF live a healthier happier life.
Arrhythmias
Everyone is born with a natural pacemaker in their heart. This pacemaker called the Sinoatrial Node (SA Node), is what causes a normal heartbeat which is between 60-100 beats per minute.
An arrhythmia is when your heart either beats too fast (tachycardia), too slow (bradycardia), or in an uncoordinated manner (fibrillation). Often this occurs because the electricity in your heart is coming from outside of the SA Node, however, arrhythmias can have many different causes. Some people do not know that they have an arrhythmia until they are told so by their doctor while others may experience a variety of symptoms including dizziness, chest pain, fainting, or feeling short of breath.
Atrial Fibrillation
Atrial fibrillation refers to the irregular contraction of the top chambers (atria) of your heart and is the most common type of arrhythmia. People with atrial fibrillation may experience heart palpitations, fatigue, dizziness, or shortness of breath, while others will have no symptoms at all.