Heart and Stroke Foundation pledges 10-year funding to Canada's leading institutions to help save more lives, faster

The Heart and Stroke Foundation has an ambitious goal: to reduce Canadians' rate of death from heart disease and stroke by 25 per cent by 2020. To help achieve this goal, the Foundation has made an unprecedented commitment to research, pledging $300 million over 10 years to 19 of Canada's leading institutions. "Simply put, there's an urgent need to save more lives faster and that's why the Foundation has created the Heart and Stroke Foundation Research Leadership Circle," said David Sculthorpe, CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. "This $300-million commitment will allow our partners an unprecedented ability to plan major research projects, foster greater collaboration and attract even more of the world's best researchers within and outside of Canada to fight these insidious diseases." Since 1952, the Foundation has provided more than $1.35 billion to heart and stroke research - second only to the federal government. But, this funding has never been an up-front commitment that can support long-term research planning. "The time has come to establish a new, more aggressive and coordinated approach to ending heart disease and stroke, so we've partnered with some of the highest performing researchers in Canada to get the job done," said Irfhan Rawji, past Chair of the Foundation and one of the architects of the Research Leadership Circle. "We're now counting on the generosity of Canadian philanthropists, our millions of longstanding donors as well as new supporters, to join with us to make this bold commitment succeed."

February is Heart Month (Canada)

Heart Month is the Heart and Stroke Foundation's key opportunity to reach millions of Canadians in February and alert them to the risks of heart disease and stroke. Today, heart disease and stroke take one life every 7 minutes and 90% of Canadians have at least one risk factor. Our hearts and bodies are fragile and no one is safe from the risk of heart disease and stroke. Yet, there is so much we can do to protect them. This is why it is so critical that we rally together in raising funds for life-giving research that can help extend the lives of all Canadians. Volunteers are the face and the voice of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Heart Month is a critical time when we depend on you to share our message. One of the most important initiatives in Heart Month is door-to-door canvassing. Our team of volunteers canvasses neighborhoods across Canada raising vital funds to give Canadians longer, fuller lives. This is your opportunity to create a movement in your community - a movement toward better health. This broad, National campaign was inspired by a fundraising initiative called "Heart Sunday." The concept was adopted in British Columbia in the mid-1950s and then in Ontario in 1958. The funds raised from Heart Month are critical to supporting the Foundation's life-giving research and initiatives that help lengthen the lives of people in communities all over Canada - Phone: (306) 244-2124

CPR Makes You Undead (Canada)

In the case of a sudden cardiac arrest, every second counts. About 7,000 cardiac arrests occur in the province each year, according to data from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario. A person's chances of survival can be up to 75 per cent if rapid, early response is started at the scene using cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillation. Unfortunately, the rate of bystander participation seldom exceeds 30 per cent and AEDs are used in less than 10 per cent of cases. The survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests is less than 6 per cent, Heart and Stroke estimates based on its most recent data. It also notes the probability of survival declines by up to 10 per cent with every minute that passes. Last month, Heart and Stroke launched a public awareness campaign dubbed CPR Makes You Undead, which aims to increase bystander involvement in emergency and cardiac arrest situations. The goal of the campaign is to raise public awareness and promote hands-only CPR, foundation health promotion and public affairs director Mark Holland said. "We must do better and we can, if we all learn CPR."

Volunteer for the 2013 Heart Month Campaign (Saskatchewan)

Heart disease and stroke take 1 in 3 Canadians before their time and it is the #1 killer of women. This February, more than 85,000 volunteers canvassed door-to-door across the country to help change these statistics. Thank you for your support this Heart Month. We value your commitment to the Foundation. Every dollar you raised helped to give Canadians time for more experiences, more memories and more life. Join us by volunteering in your neighborhood for the 2013 Heart Month Campaign next February. If you register for the 2013 Heart Month Campaign before 11:59pm, October 31st, you'll be automatically entered into a contest to win a 3-in-1 Reversible Griddle/Grill, generously donated by Hamilton Beach. Register online or call H&S at 244-2124

2012 Saskatoon Dragon Boat Festival (Canada)

The Heart and Stroke Foundation has announced that they will be organizing this event this summer, as well as remain the charity of choice. The Festival will include a children’s area, a heart healthy food and beverage menu and all day entertainment. This is sure to be a fantastic day of exciting races and family fun. July 27th and 28th 2012

February is Heart Month in Canada

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada writes: "Heart disease and stroke take 1 in 3 Canadians before their time. They are the #1 killer of women - taking more women's lives than all forms of cancer combined. This February, more than 100,000 volunteers will rally together across Canada to raise life-giving funds to give Canadians longer, fuller lives. Every donation - whether at the door, online, or through an event - is giving the people you care about more time - for more experiences, more memories and more living. Your gift of time ultimately leads to an even greater gift - the gift of life. Volunteer for the 2012 Heart Month Campaign and make a difference"

Heart&Stroke My Healthy Community Grants (Canada)

We know that Saskatchewan is a place where real, substantive change happens at the grassroots. The kind of change that makes a real difference in people's lives. That's why we are introducing Heart&Stroke My Healthy Community Grants. The goal is to help you make healthy change possible in your community... to help you build a healthier future for all. We invite you to apply for a Heart&Stroke My Healthy Community Grant, which is available to help groups and organizations develop and deliver projects that will make a healthy difference, with a particular focus on children, youth and families. Application deadline is December 20, 2011. Contact Heart and Stroke Foundation, 279 - 3 Ave N., Saskatoon, SK S7K 2H8 - (306) 244-2124 - for details

Heart and Stroke Foundation appoints Bobbe Wood as President (Canada)

The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (HSFC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Bobbe Wood as President. Ms. Wood is responsible for the oversight of the Foundation’s mission to eliminate heart disease and stroke in Canada through its leading edge cardiovascular research, and the advancement of health promotion, education, and advocacy initiatives. From September 2010 to June 2011, Ms. Wood served as CEO of the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, leading the federation through an historic transition to a unified national organization

Heart Healthy Children & Youth - Saskatchewan

Heart Healthy Children & Youth is the Heart and Stroke Foundation's response to the growing epidemic of childhood obesity, inactivity and other lifestyle choices that are putting Saskatchewan children at risk. This is a province-wide initiative aiming to inspire individuals, families, communities, businesses and governments to take collective action to help children become more physically active, eat healthier foods and be smoke-free. Canadian children may be among the first generation to have a shorter less healthy lifespan than their parents. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 25 years and 29.1 per cent of Saskatchewan children are considered overweight or obese. At the same time, children are less active. According to Active Healthy Kids Canada, only 15 per cent of Saskatchewan children meet recommended levels for physical activity. And smoking rates among Saskatchewan youth are significantly higher than elsewhere in Canada, even among children as young as grade six.

To get involved, contact the Community Action Coordinator in your area at 1-888-473-4636 (toll-free):

* Candace Bloomquist, Central Saskatchewan bloomquistc@hsf.sk.ca
* Bill Ursel, South Saskatchewan urselb@hsf.sk.ca

Stroke is Urgent - Heart and Stroke Foundation's 2011 Stroke Month Report

The Heart and Stroke Foundation's 2011 Stroke Month Report warns that awareness levels of stroke warning signs and stroke prevention is dangerously low, especially among women from Canada's two largest visible minorities - people of Chinese and South Asian descent

He@lthline - April 2011 from Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada

The April 2011 edition of He@lthline, from Heart and Stroke Foundation Canada is now available

Canadians in denial about cardiac health, study finds

A national poll by the Heart and Stroke Foundation has found too many Canadians are in denial about their own risk factors. The poll indicates about 90% of Canadians know what they need to do to live healthier lives, and the same percentage of Canadians also believe that they are healthy. But that contradicts the fact that 90% of Canadians have at least one risk factor for heart disease, the organization said in its annual Report on Canadians' Health. "Canadians know what to do to live healthier, longer lives. But there's a huge disconnect between what we think we are doing to address our risk factors and reality," said Heart and Stroke Foundation spokesperson Dr. Beth Abramson in a media release. "The fact is that we're not managing some of the most common and deadly cardiovascular risk factors as well as we think we are. We Canadians are living with a false sense of security that could be fatal."

Big Bike teams making their community heart-safe! (Saskatchewan)

"Eight Saskatchewan facilities will be better equipped to save a life with new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) thanks to ZOLL Medical Canada and a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Saskatchewan (HSFS) initiative. As a special incentive for teams riding the SaskEnergy Heart&Stroke Big Bike, ZOLL Medical Canada sponsored a contest to award eight AEDs to teams in various categories. Winning teams will receive an AED that they can use in their own facility or donate to a community site. The Heart and Stroke Foundation will provide the proper training for staff to ensure that the AED is used properly. The AEDs were awarded to the following teams for their outstanding fundraising efforts and the locations for the AEDs will be confirmed in the New Year: Mosaic (Belle Plaine), Yara Belle Plaine, Triple 4 Advertising (Moose Jaw), Dewey's Decimals (Weyburn), CIBC Meadow Lake, Bank of America (Regina), Ponteix Health Centre and California Fitness (Saskatoon). SaskEnergy Heart&Stroke Big Bike engages people across the province and encourages generous support for critical Heart and Stroke Foundation research, education and advocacy in Saskatchewan. The 30-person Big Bike traveled across the province to over 50 communities last summer helping to raise more than $500,000!"

Heart and Stroke Foundation stresses one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to resuscitation (Canada)

"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 October 18, 2010. 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.'

Coping with Stress (Canada)

"Stress is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke. About a quarter of Canadians report a high degree of life stress. People with excessive stress may have high-blood pressure and elevated levels of blood cholesterol and be overweight. The Heart and Stroke Foundation has partnered with the Canadian Mental Health Association to bring you this brochure to help you cope with stress more successfully. Inside the brochure there is a Stress Index Test that will help you identify your stressors and some suggestions on how to manage them in a healthier way"

Heart&Stroke Big Bike Saskatchewan on Facebook

"A vital fundraiser with impressive results, Heart&Stroke Big Bike continues to engage people across the province, and encourages generous support for critical Heart and Stroke Foundation research. Last year, 83 Big Bike rides helped raise more than $350,000 for research! That's helping us achieve even greater results that change the lives of not only heart and stroke patients - but all Canadians"

Heart&Stroke Insider Prevention Edition - March 2010

Heart&Stroke Insider Prevention Edition - March 2010 is now available online or below:

Previous editions are here

Six steps to ensure a shipshape ticker (Canada)

"The heart wants what it wants and Canadians better take notice if they want to stay healthy. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, approximately 70,000 heart attacks occur each year in Canada - 19,000 of which are fatal. And although genetics can play a role in shaping your heart-healthy future, there are plenty of modifiable risk factors that be addressed today to ensure a healthy tomorrow" - Edmonton Journal

The Heart and Stroke Foundation's 2010 Annual Report on Canadians' Health

The Heart and Stroke Foundation's 2010 Annual Report on Canadians' Health warns that a "perfect storm" of risk factors and demographic changes are converging to create an unprecedented burden on Canada's fragmented system of cardiovascular care, and no Canadian - young or old - will be left unaffected. Adding to the perfect storm, troubling disparities persist between provinces and territories. "In a very short time, the face of heart disease in Canada has changed to include groups that have historically been immune to the threats of heart disease," says Dr. Beth Abramson, cardiologist and spokesperson for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. "But the combination of new groups at-risk of heart disease and the explosion of unhealthy habits across Canada have accelerated the impact of these threats which are now converging and erasing the progress we've made in treating heart disease over the last 50 years."

A survivor story - CBC News interviews Yaz Maziar (Canada)

"When it comes to heart disease and stroke there are a million tales to be told -- tales of resilience, of survival, of lives turned around. Heart and Stroke Foundation's National Web Publisher, Yaz Maziar, has one such story. He tells it here to Nancy Wilson at CBC News Today, speaking of his personal battle with heart disease, and how a clot-busting drug pioneered by the Heart and Stroke Foundation helped to save his life"