Heart & Stroke 2024 Spring impact report

Beat as one

Big breakthroughs. Better health. Because of YOU.

Making stroke history

Forty years ago, very little could be done for someone who had a stroke. In the 1980’s and ‘90s, stroke was a leading cause of death and disability in Canada, and there was no treatment to help those affected.

Now, thanks to generous people like you, Heart & Stroke has dramatically changed the landscape for stroke prevention, care and treatment.

For decades, we’ve been fighting to raise awareness of the signs of stroke (FAST), advance medical discoveries,

and provide evidence-based healthcare guidelines to deliver world-class care. Together.

This progress has saved lives, but stroke is still on the rise in Canada. With an aging population and more younger people having strokes, it remains a leading cause of death, and 60% of people who survive are left with some disability.

Accelerating stroke advancements by funding research, raising awareness, and driving change remains critical. Together, we help ensure survivors get the right care at the right time – keeping families together, longer.

Breakthroughs YOU helped make happen:

1983

Canadian Neurological Scale is perfected and used to measure brain damage after stroke

1999

Clot-busting, life-saving drugs tPA and rTNK become available nationwide

2003

Stroke is managed with new, integrated approach with prevention, treatment and rehab

2006 Canadian Stroke Best Practices are established to accelerate treatment

2015 EVT (endovascular thrombectomy) treatment to remove clots through blood vessels cuts death rate in half

2020 Heart & Stroke Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery launches

2021

Smoking rates are reduced from 50% to 12% since 1965

heartandstroke.ca/ signsofstroke Know

Taking aim at a key cause of dementia

Dr. Philip Barber uses machine learning to help prevent vascular cognitive impairment

Because many of these biomarkers are available, we can dive deeper. It’s an exciting time in healthcare research.

Dr. Philip Barber, Heart & Stroke researcher “ ”

More than 450,000 Canadians live with vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). But what if we could prevent it and reduce risk? Dr. Philip Barber, an associate professor of neurology and radiology at the University of Calgary is chasing this question.

To prevent VCI, you need to find clues earlier. Studying TIA (transient ischemic attack, or ‘mini stroke’) patients, his team uses MRI technology to capture brain images using AI immediately after the event and at regular follow ups.

They’re looking for biomarkers that could indicate Alzheimer’s disease – another leading cause of dementia.

His research reveals numerous changes in people who have had a TIA. “We’ve shown that their brains are shrinking about twice as fast as healthy controls, even within a year or so after the event,” Dr. Barber says.

“Machine learning (AI) helps us understand how these elements might be related to each other, but also how they might be related to some of the outcomes we’re interested in.”

Namely: slowing or stopping the disease.

“We think that the vascular component, unlike the neurodegenerative component, is largely preventable,” he says.

Dr. Barber’s research confirms the complexity of VCI: “It’s not just one disease, but many. Every individual’s response to those diseases may be very different.” Preventing VCI requires a personalized approach, and he’s counting on donors to help find answers.

What is VCI?

Visit heartandstroke.ca/VCI

After a stroke at 24: Courtney’s story

A stroke at any age is scary, but Courtney’s occurred during the first wave of COVID-19. At 24, she had to navigate recovery alone. Following a brain bleed and relentless swelling from a large clot, half of her skull was temporarily removed.

Courtney found it difficult to grasp what was happening:

“I didn’t understand why I couldn’t walk, why I couldn’t think.”

Courtney now lives with epilepsy and has occasional struggles with memory and decision making, but she says the stroke has given her greater perspective on things that matter: family, presence, mindfulness and movement. She’s now a crisis counsellor, using her skills and experience to help others.

She enjoys time at the gym and being with her new dog, Bosco. She’s proud to have completed a triathlon with her husband. Grateful for her family’s support and a new perspective that typically comes with age, she says: “I’m an old soul in a young body – I do what makes me happy.”

Courtney and her family on vacation.

Tackling the emotional impacts of stroke

Dr. Swati Mehta helps people embrace an altered future

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Stroke can be a life-changing event. It can really shatter a person’s sense of self and how they interact with people, and what their role is in the community.

Dr. Swati Mehta, Heart & Stroke researcher

As a PhD student in rehabilitation medicine, Swati Mehta noticed a gap in the support available for stroke recovery. Beyond physical rehab, she saw a need for more attention to the mental and emotional challenges.

How do you help those facing a future altered by stroke, support their mental wellbeing, and help them rebuild meaningful social connections?

Now a psychotherapist at St. Joseph’s Health Care, Parkwood Institute, scientist at Lawson Health Research Institute, and adjunct assistant professor at Western University in London, Ont., Dr. Mehta works with people living with stroke. She’s developed a remote 10-week self-directed program that combines online modules with person-to-person support, all accessed from home.

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Currently in clinical trial, the program uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help participants cope with challenges like communicating with loved ones, overcoming feelings of isolation and managing memory problems. “We’ll connect them to different groups and see how we can help them engage in the community again,” Dr. Mehta says.

Personal interaction and support from trained clinicians are key elements: “People practice what they’ve learned. They’re not left alone for any of those weeks.”

Thrilled her study was selected to receive a research grant from Heart & Stroke, she’s hopeful this funding indicates a more holistic shift in stroke recovery. “This approach can really impact how well people participate and embrace their disability and engage in the community. It can contribute to a more meaningful life.”

Healthy living: it’s all about the choices you make

Many risk factors for heart disease and stroke are within your control. Explore our heart-healthy tips on diet, exercise, stress management and more!

Visit: heartandstroke.ca/healthy-living

Take charge of your blood pressure

Yours to Control is an 8-12 week program from Heart & Stroke, in the free PC Health App. It helps you create small lifestyle changes to positively impact your blood pressure. High blood pressure is the #1 risk factor for stroke and a major risk factor for heart disease. Create healthy habits to last a lifetime and earn PC OptimumTM points along the way.

To get the app, go to: pchealth.ca

Making the world a better place: Thank you, Joan Hudson!

A salute to a wonderful donor whose legacy will give families strength and hope – today and tomorrow.

Joan was born in the tiny farming community of Pense, Saskatchewan in May of 1935. At the time, Pense consisted of a grain elevator, several churches, and a sprinkling of farms – stretching across the endless Prairie skies. People were facing immense hardships, forcing many to leave their beloved homeland.

Based on how she grew up, it’s easy to understand why Joan became the strong, hardworking woman she was.

Joan had a passion for helping others, something that she carried throughout her life. She married Donald, a farm boy from Edmonton, and the two went on to enjoy successful careers – Joan in advertising at The Hudson’s Bay Company, and Donald a producer and host at the CBC.

Upon Donald’s passing in 2015, Joan stayed strong. With the support of her network of friends and family, her warm smile continued to light up any room she was in.

Prior to her passing on April 3, 2023 at age 87, Joan ensured that she would continue to make a difference in people’s lives by leaving generous gifts in her Will to her trusted charities – including Heart & Stroke. Her legacy will continue to change the lives of people in Canada.

Through her gift in Will, Joan’s generous spirit lives on, giving hope to families now, and helping to create a better, healthier future for generations to come.

Thank you, Joan, for your kind heart and for using the power of your Will to make a difference!

Making a difference for generations to come

Making a legacy pledge means we can continue to lead the way in our mission to beat heart disease and stroke and its devastating effect on Canadian families. With so much uncertainty, you can count on making a lasting difference with your gift in Will.