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heart failure in canada: stats, impact and resources

heart failure has been called an 'epidemic' as the most rapidly rising cardiovascular disease in canada, but as many as four in every 10 of us don't know what heart failure is.

by karen hawthorne
published oct 16, 2024
read time 5 minute read
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read time 5 minute read
join the conversation
heart failure is one of the top reasons why people in canada are hospitalized, and one in five heart failure patients will be readmitted to hospital within a month of being discharged. getty images
heart failure is a growing concern in canada that is linked to other health problems we’re seeing increase, like obesity and diabetes. it is a chronic disease where your heart muscle can’t pump blood as well as it should and needs long-term management. heart problems including heart defects, high blood pressure or narrowed arteries in the heart, gradually leave the heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump enough blood through your body. this is serious and can lead to organ and tissue damage, or blood building up in different organs, like the lungs, causing shortness of breath or wheezing – which are common symptoms of heart failure. once you’ve been diagnosed with heart failure, it can’t be cured. but early diagnosis, medication and improved lifestyle habits can have a significant impact on managing symptoms and quality of life.

heart failure stats in canada

the heart and stroke foundation is calling for a national action plan to improve access to diagnosis, care and support for heart failure patients and their families. it’s been called an “epidemic” as the most rapidly rising cardiovascular disease in canada, but as many as four in every 10 of us don’t know what heart failure is. while prevention is critical to changing the projected burden of the disease on canadians and healthcare services, awareness surrounding the disease is lacking.

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heart failure is one of the top reasons for hospitalization in canada and as many as one in five heart failure patients will be readmitted to hospital within a month of being discharged, according to research by the heart and stroke foundation.

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where are we today and where are we headed? here’s a look at key numbers:
  • 750,000 people are living with heart failure; while it’s more common in older people, it can happen to anyone at any age
  • 100,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure each year
  • 6,300 people die of heart failure each year
  • nearly half of people diagnosed with heart failure will die within five years of diagnosis
  • in 2019, 20 per cent more women died of heart failure than men. symptoms like nausea and fatigue, more common in women, can mean underdiagnosis of heart failure in women
  • nearly 40 per cent of people do not realize that heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of premature death in women
  • heart failure is one of the top reasons why people in canada are hospitalized, and one in five heart failure patients will be readmitted to hospital within a month of being discharged
  • 30-day readmission rate has not changed in the last decade despite advances in medical therapy
  • less than 70 per cent of eligible patients are on recommended medications
  • heart failure has worse survival than patients with some common cancers
  • by 2030, healthcare costs of heart failure are expected to reach $2.8 billion per year
an analysis of hospital admissions because of heart failure, published in cmaj, points to the need for improved diagnosis and outpatient care to curb stress on the healthcare system
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canadian society for exercise physiology
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                      impact of heart failure on canadian society

                      our aging and growing population is already taxing healthcare services. many people don’t have a family doctor to turn to for regular monitoring, leaving a huge gap in prevention care. with limited awareness and understanding of heart failure among canadians, the urgency for people to adopt healthy lifestyle habits can get lost. the projected burden on healthcare – $2.8 billion by 2030 – is alarming.
                      consider the growing incidence of risk factors for heart failure. obesity affects more than 25 per cent of adults in canada, based on self-reported height and weight data, according to statistics canada. and obesity rates in children and youth have more than tripled in the last 30 years, setting them up for other risk factors for heart failure, like high blood pressure and diabetes. high blood pressure affects an estimated one in four adults and roughly 10 per cent of people have been diagnosed with diabetes. smoking and alcohol use are also linked to heart failure.
                      covid-19, as we saw during the pandemic, can damage the linings of blood vessels and cause inflammation of the heart muscle in some people, which can lead to heart failure.
                      researchers have also looked at the impact on patients and caregivers’ quality of life, noting social isolation, mental health concerns and financial strain. “heart failure management is complex and requires daily coordination of and adherence to multiple medications and a set of lifestyle changes related to dietary restrictions, fluid intake, exercise and weight monitoring. frequent healthcare appointments – across several different provider types – are often necessary for heart failure patients. caregivers play an important role in day-to-day heart failure management and existing evidence suggests that the heart failure treatment journey is challenging for patients and caregivers alike,” authors note in a qualitative study published in plus one in march 2021.
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                      resources and support for heart failure in canada

                      the leading associations representing heart failure are:
                      learning more about how symptoms progress and medication routines that can change over time can help empower patients. doctors, nurses and other health professionals can offer support and guidance, and cardiac rehabilitation programs help patients adapt to living with heart failure.
                      reaching out to organizations like the heart and stroke foundation can be instrumental in directing patients and families to resources and peer support groups, so people feel connected and not alone with their feelings or frustrations. they can also share ideas to help people cope or solve a problem.
                      with early diagnosis and treatment, people with heart failure are living better quality lives. experts, including stanford university researchers published in bmj in april, say the therapeutic advances in detection, medications, devices and invasive therapies continue to improve care.
                      on the policy front, work by the heart life foundation national patient-led charity spearheaded the national framework for heart failure act and bill s-284 was tabled in the senate this may. the goal is to systematically improve prevention, diagnosis and management of heart failure for providers, patients and caregivers — and promote innovative solutions.
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                      there is also investment in collaboration and strategy among researchers. in 2022, the heart and stroke foundation in partnership with the canadian institutes of health research – national heart, lung, and blood institute, and mitacs, announced a $5 million heart failure research network funding grant. dr. jean-lucien rouleau, of the montreal heart institute, and his team of 100 researchers from across canada, formed a network called the canadian heart function alliance, dedicated to improving adoption rates of proven therapies and access to care.
                      as rouleau states on the alliance website, “although we have some treatments to prevent death from heart failure, we are still losing too many of our patients. we need a national approach to the prediction, prevention, diagnosis and management of heart failure for the benefit of all canadians.”
                      karen hawthorne
                      karen hawthorne

                      karen hawthorne worked for six years as a digital editor for the national post, contributing articles on health, business, culture and travel for affiliated newspapers across canada. she now writes from her home office in toronto and takes breaks to bounce with her son on the backyard trampoline and walk bingo, her bull terrier.

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