2021 Fall Impact Report
Beat as one Big breakthroughs. Better health. Because of YOU.
Rallying the best research to face urgent new challenges.
A look inside your report: Holiday heart attacks Page 2
New research breakthroughs Page 4
Challenges after COVID-19 Page 6
Protect yourself from a holiday heart attack These 5 tips will help you maintain healthy habits
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hatever the holiday, gatherings are fun, but they can make it a challenge to maintain healthy habits. It’s important to find a balance because more people die from a heart attack or stroke in the winter months than during warmer weather, with mortality averaging 10% higher. The good news is, many risk factors for heart disease and stroke are in your power to control.
Tips for maintaining holiday health: 1. Make good choices. Eat a balanced diet focused on whole foods. Enjoy your favourite treats by keeping portions small. 2. Stay active. Skate, walk, ski – or keep warm inside with an online class. Physical activity boosts feel-good endorphins that help ease stress.
Celebrate with a delicious, heart-healthy festive feast! From succulent crab cakes with “smarter tartar” to a slow and easy turkey topped with “lighten up” gravy, treat your guests to a heart-healthy holiday meal. For mouth-watering recipes from our partner, CanolaInfo.org, that will make an unforgettable feast, visit: heartandstroke.ca/festive
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3. Ask for help. The holidays can be a lonely time. Especially this year, take time to seek out support. Learn about joining a Heart & Stroke online peer support group (see p. 6). 4. Sip smart. Heavy drinking is a risk factor for high blood pressure and can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. The holidays make it easy to over-consume. Limit alcohol to three drinks a day for men and two for women. 5. Steer clear of heart stressors. Shoveling heavy snow can place a dangerous strain on the heart. Be cautious and get help when needed. 8 in 10 cases of premature heart disease and stroke are preventable through healthy behaviours. To learn more, visit: heartandstroke.ca/healthyliving
A long-time supporter builds her legacy Moira Fitzpatrick plans a gift in her Will to improve women’s health
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oira Fitzpatrick has a knack for bringing people together for a cause. And luckily for us, Heart & Stroke has long been one of her favourite causes. Moira has written friends asking them to match her donations, and has organized some of the biggest Heart & Stroke fundraisers in British Columbia, using skills and connections from her career in hospitality and marketing. She served on the Heart & Stroke BC provincial board for many years, starting in 1985.
Moira has arranged a legacy gift to Heart & Stroke in her Will. It was important to her to leave a gift to the causes that have influenced her life the most. “Heart & Stroke is one for many reasons, but mainly because of my mother.” Moira continues her fundraising today through Chix with Stix, a women’s golf group she started 25 years ago. She organized a speaker to talk with the group about heart disease and women — and hopefully get them thinking. “If I could inspire other women to leave a legacy gift, it would be wonderful.”
“My passion has always been for women’s heart health and trying to contribute something in that direction,” Moira says. After her mother had a severe stroke in 1997 and passed away in 2000, she became even more conscious of raising support for the cause.
To learn more about leaving a legacy to Heart & Stroke to ensure tomorrow’s breakthroughs, visit: heartandstroke.ca/legacy
“ My passion has always been for women’s heart health and trying to contribute something in that direction.” Moira Fitzpatrick Heart & Stroke volunteer and donor
Heart attack signs you shouldn’t ignore Beat heart attacks. Knowing these signs could save your life, or someone you love. Signs can vary and can be different for men and women.
Chest discomfort Pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain, burning or heaviness
Sweating
Upper body discomfort Neck, jaw, shoulder, arms, back
Nausea
Shortness of breath
Light-headedness
If you experience any of these signs, call 9-1-1 or your local emergency number immediately. To learn more about emergency signs, visit: heartandstroke.ca/heartsigns
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When we beat as one we accomplish more Latest news on the life-saving research that you make possible
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ou are the reason Heart & Stroke leads the fight against heart disease and stroke. The need remains urgent: heart disease and strokes are the #1 global killer. Your donations matter more than ever, as we face a future forever changed by COVID-19. You fuel groundbreaking research that’s helping us prevent disease, develop lifesaving interventions and transform rehabilitation. It all adds up to revolutionary medical breakthroughs that offer hope for longer, better lives. Over the past year, you supported more than 800 researchers in medical institutes, universities, hospitals and communities across Canada. The generosity of donors and volunteers provided for $21.8 million in lifesaving research and $34.6 million in health promotion and community programs.
Here’s some of what you are helping make possible: Advancing the success of heart transplants: Dr. Sharon Chih and her research team are working to improve early detection of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV), a leading cause of poor long-term outcomes after heart transplant. Detecting CAV sooner will give more healthy years to recipients of heart transplants. Using genetics to beat heart attacks: Research led by Dr. Guillaume Paré has identified genetic variants linked with an increased risk of heart attack at an early age. Identifying risk earlier will open doors to more ways to prevent this devastating condition.
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Dr. Sharon Chih
Pioneering discoveries through a health equity lens: Dr. Heather Foulds’ research focuses on the social and cultural factors impacting the heart and brain health of Indigenous women, who are more than twice as likely as nonIndigenous women to die from these diseases. The goal is to improve prevention, detection, and treatment. Finding new pathways in stroke recovery: Research by Dr. Yu Tian Wang is uncovering drugs that could save your brain cells after a stroke. The neuroprotection offered by these treatments could prevent cell death and devastating brain damage, improving recovery.
Dr. Heather Foulds
Dr. Yu Tian Wang
Meanwhile, your support helps Heart & Stroke continue to deliver trusted information for people in Canada, as we work relentlessly to address the new reality of COVID-19 and meet the needs of families living with heart conditions, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment. Together, we will keep the breakthroughs coming to beat heart disease and stroke. Dr. Guillaume Paré
To learn more about the incredible breakthrough research that you’re funding, visit: heartandstroke.ca/research
Early funding key to thriving research careers Your support builds the next generation of scientific talent
“ I could not have done my first published paper without that kind of support.” Dr. Susanna Mak
Cardiologist Heart & Stroke funded researcher
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n 2004, Dr. Susanna Mak got her dream job: cardiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, with a faculty appointment at the University of Toronto. But her main source of income was the time she spent treating patients — not doing the research that was her passion.
“If you decide to commit three days a week to do your research, you have to earn your living and support your family seeing patients two days a week,” says Dr. Mak. “The academic hospitals do provide support, but it’s not always enough.” Then she secured two grants from Heart & Stroke. One funded a study on gender differences in heart function — a topic she is still investigating. The other was an award for early-career researchers, providing five years of salary support to pursue research.
That crucial funding helped Dr. Mak get her first research paper published — a key marker of success.. Today she is a senior clinician-scientist who heads the cardiology department at the University of Toronto. When researchers like Dr. Mak can build stable careers, they can develop a research program that leads to innovation and better health. Your donations help make this happen. In a recent survey of researchers who received early-career funding from Heart & Stroke between 1998 and 2010, 80% said this support helped them build their careers. To learn more about the impact of early funding, visit: heartandstroke.ca/research
Thank you for backing breakthroughs Heart & Stroke donors powered these critical discoveries. What new breakthroughs will your support make possible?
1997
Human genome mapping reveals more than 84,000 DNA sequences related to heart disease and stroke.
2004
INTERHEART study, led by Dr. Salim Yusuf, discovers the existence of nine modifiable risk factors that account for over 90% of heart attacks worldwide.
2015
ESCAPE trial shows that treating major strokes by removing blood clots through blood vessels cuts deaths by 50% and reduces disability in survivors.
2019
Discovery of a molecule linked to 1 in 5 cases of heart failure creates potential for preventing this debilitating condition.
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COVID-19 and beyond: What lies ahead? The quest for research, rehabilitation and support has just begun
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or many people in Canada, the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic are loosening. But for those living with heart disease, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment, their heart and brain health may never be the same.
By donating to Heart & Stroke, you are investing in research to fix damaged hearts and brains. Together, we will:
We are only just beginning to understand the long-term impacts and potential challenges ahead.
• Fight to address inequities in health related to gender and marginalized communities.
People with our conditions are among the more vulnerable to the virus. Fear of going to a hospital or of overloading an overburdened system kept many from seeking care when they needed it – leaving them sicker, or with irreversible damage. We must refocus on areas of health that have been dangerously neglected.
• Push for accessibility to care for all people in Canada regardless of economic or geographic status.
It’s now recognized that while COVID-19 is a threat to the lungs, there’s an additional threat to the heart and brain, putting people who contracted the virus at greater risk for heart disease, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment. The pandemic also dealt a heavy blow to life-saving research, with studies slowed or stopped, and a massive decrease in funding.
• Build on the learning from the pandemic, expanding innovations like virtual healthcare.
Your partnership means so much to all of us moving ahead.
“ We’re in a race to build a picture of the longterm impacts on heart and brain health. It may be our best hope to help those we love who are living with heart disease or stroke.” – Dr. Patrice Lindsay Director, Health Systems, Heart & Stroke
For self-care tips, plus resources for keeping you and your loved ones safe, visit: heartandstroke.ca/coronavirus
The power of community Have you experienced heart disease or stroke, or are you caring for someone who has? Our members-only Facebook groups are safe, welcoming and helpful online communities. Ask questions, give and receive support and get practical advice. You’re among friends here.
Community of Survivors: For people living with heart disease or stroke.
Care Supporters’ Community: Share, support and lean on those who, like you, are caring for others.
To learn more and join a community, visit: heartandstroke.ca/connect 6
Supporting stroke recovery during COVID-19 Program helps patients regain arm and hand movement “ Virtual GRASP creates the possibility of enabling people recovering from stroke to connect with others from around the world.” Dr. Chieh-ling Yang Trainee, Heart & Stroke Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery
hile the COVID-19 pandemic has turned lives upside-down, it’s also shown that programs and therapies can deliver good – and sometimes better – results when they pivot to online platforms.
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“We found that, as a virtual program, GRASP was effective and people liked it,” says Dr. Chieh-ling Yang, a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Eng’s lab funded by the Heart & Stroke Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery.
GRASP is one such success story. The program, called Graded Repetitive Arm Supplementary Program, was developed by Dr. Janice Eng at the University of British Columbia with funding from Heart & Stroke donors.
Virtual GRASP is continuing, with participation higher than usual. This means people who can’t travel to sessions are able to join from home. “The pandemic opened up a lot of possibilities,” Dr. Yang says. “We learned to adapt and to do things usually done in person.”
Popular with physicians worldwide, GRASP is an exercise program that helps people regain use of their arms and hands after stroke. When COVID-19 shut communitybased programs in 2020, GRASP went entirely virtual.
To learn more about stroke diagnosis, treatment and recovery, visit: heartandstroke.ca/stroke
Update on flu: Good reasons to get the shot
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here are many good reasons to get a flu shot. This annual vaccine reduces hospitalizations, deaths and other flu-related complications. And if you are living with heart disease or stroke, or you’re over 65, you are more vulnerable to complications.
whose research has been funded by Heart & Stroke donors. “Even if it doesn’t stop you from getting the flu, it lowers the severity of the impact.”
This year, avoiding flu will help take added pressure off the healthcare system, which continues to deal with COVID-19. But will flu season be mild like in 2020? “With people travelling again, there may be a more normal return to flu season,” says Dr. Craig Jenne, Canada Research Chair in Imaging Approaches Toward Studying Infection. “The flu shot is an effective way to reduce strain on your cardiovascular system,” says Dr. Jenne, 7
From our CEO: Making your gifts go further Strategic partnerships help increase the impact of your support
“ I’ve always believed strongly in the power of collaboration. And it matters now more than ever, as we face challenges that are bigger than all of us. Thank you for being part of the solution.” Doug Roth CEO, Heart & Stroke
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s we turn the corner on the COVID-19 pandemic, one lesson we can all look back on is that we’re stronger together. From the development of vaccines to the way communities came together, fighting this pandemic depended on teamwork.
minded organizations on carefully developed projects, we leverage your donations with new channels, complementary expertise and new ideas for reaching constituents.
You are the MVPs of the Heart & Stroke team. Thanks to your unwavering support, we’re well positioned to tackle the urgent challenges emerging from the pandemic — especially long-term impacts related to heart disease, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment (see p. 6).
For example, Heart & Stroke is working with March of Dimes to ensure support for more stroke patients and caregivers in their communities. And we’re collaborating with several partners, including the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the HeartLife Foundation, to build a blueprint to improve heart failure care in Canada.
Our team is stronger still with strategic partners that make your support go further. By joining forces with like-
Thank you for all you do to beat heart disease, stroke and vascular cognitive impairment.
Will your legacy be to protect your loved ones and future generations from heart disease and stroke? Not much in life is certain, but one thing you can count on is the difference your decision to make a legacy gift to Heart & Stroke will make to those you love. If you would like to have a conversation about including a gift to Heart & Stroke in your Will, please call Mary Goodfellow at 1-800-205-4438 or visit: heartandstroke.ca/legacy
Dr. John McNeill chose to support Heart & Stroke with a legacy gift through his estate.
3 easy, secure ways to make your gift today: Mail in your enclosed reply card
Donate online at heartandstroke.ca/impact
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