in

An illustrative look at news and events

minutes

Heart health
This Valentines Day, take a moment away from candy hearts and
Superior
vena cava The heart
Pulmonary
artery
Pulmonary
veins
Aorta
flowers to think of your actual heart. Eating healthy, not smoking
and being active are all ways to keep heart disease at bay. Every
7 minutes,
someone dies
What is heart disease? from heart
disease or stroke
A group of conditions affecting the proper structure
in Canada.
and function of the heart.

Pulmonary
Types of heart disease
Nine in 10
valve Left Canadians have
atrium at least one risk
Coronary artery disease Right factor for heart
• The most common form of heart disease disease or
atrium stroke.
• Occurs when arteries in the heart
Plaque are blocked or narrowed by plaque, a sticky
yellow substance
Atrio-
ventricular Risk factors
Arrhythmia valve • High blood pressure
• Heart beats too slowly (bradycardia), • High blood cholesterol
too quickly (tachycardia), or is • Diabetes
uncoordinated (fibrillation) Right
• Being overweight
ventricle
Abnormal electrical rhythm • Excessive alcohol consumption
Left
ventricle • Physical inactivity
Cardiomyopathy
• Smoking
• Affects the muscle of your heart
• Can cause a weakened, thickened
or tight heart muscle
Warning signs • Stress

Thickened heart muscle Pain 69,595 69,503 Out of the

almost 70,000
• Sudden, does not go away with rest deaths due to
Pericarditis cardiovascular
• An infection of the pericardium,
• May be in the chest, neck, jaw,
shoulder, arms or back Top 5 reasons disease, 50,499 of
them were caused
the membrane surrounding the heart
• May cause chest pain
• May feel like burning, squeezing,
heaviness, tightness or pressure for death in by heart
disease.
Pericardium • Arrives with exertion,
goes away with rest
Canada, 2007 25,978
Shortness of breath
Valve disorders 10,659 9,951
• Stenosis (narrowing)
Nausea
Sweating Cancer Major Disease Chronic lower Accidents
• Prolapse (slipping out of place) cardiovascular (residual) respiratory
• Regurgitation (backward flow) Fear disease disease
Sources: Graphic News; Heart and Stroke Foundation; Statistics Canada MEGAN DINNER/QMI AGENCY