Heart failure on rise as population gets older (Canada)

"So, you used to be able to walk eight blocks with no problem and now you can barely walk two blocks without getting out of breath. Don't brush it off, assuming you're just getting old and out of shape: it's the most common sign of heart failure. In fact, it's what prompts many visits to the doctor - which is a good thing, because heart failure, by the numbers, is very scary. Of 100 people with heart failure today, less than half will be alive in five years; and less than 25 per cent will be around five years after that. That 100 people includes those who have been diagnosed and treated, not diagnosed and not treated, and diagnosed but not complying with treatment, says cardiologist Michael Chan. Heart failure is a serious condition and often leads to death, he says. It's not curable, but can be managed with the right medications in correct doses, if people follow their prescribed treatment and make some lifestyle changes. An estimated 10,000 Edmontonians and 600,000 Canadians are walking around with heart failure, which means their hearts don't function properly" - Edmonton Journal