A report on the health of Canadians shows a changing population and rising risk factors for heart disease are potential looming issues.
“We cannot underestimate the progress we have made, but we still have an enormous task in front of us,” says David Sculthorpe, CEO, Heart and Stroke Foundation. “Heart disease and stroke continue to be the second leading cause of death in Canada and a leading cause of disability, responsible for 66,000 deaths each year. And we know we are facing a new set of challenges that will require more research and new solutions.”
According to the 2015 Heart and Stroke Foundation Report on the Health of Canadians, diabetes rates in heart attack patients have risen to 31 per cent from just 17 per cent a few decades ago.
It also finds 60 per cent of Canadians are overweight or obese and the obesity rate for children has increased by three times in the last 30 years.
The report cites poor diets and a lack of physical activity as leading risk factors for heart disease.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, every seven minutes in Canada someone dies from heart disease or stroke and 1.6 million Canadians live with the effects of cardiovascular disease.
Despite the alarming numbers, the foundation also touts decades of progress.
“We have made incredible progress in improving the heart health of Canadians since the 1950s and 1960s,” says Sculthorpe. “Back then of those who made it to hospital after a heart attack, 30 – 35 per cent did not survive. Today that number is down to five per cent. Or put another way, 95 per cent of Canadians who have a heart attack will now survive – thanks to research.”
The foundation says in 1952 cardiovascular disease accounted for nearly half of all deaths in Canada and that number is now down to just over one quarter.
