Heart & Stroke Month focus on heart failure

Feb 18, 2016 | 3:40 PM

KAMLOOPS — February is Heart and Stroke Awareness Month in Canada. This year’s theme centres around heart failure. 

The Heart and Stroke Foundation says more than 60,000 Canadians are living with heart failure, 50,000 new cases of heart failure are diagnosed each year, and over 40 million people develop heart failure at some point in their lives. 

“Heart failure is that muscle that either weakens or stiffens over time, and it doesn’t pump the blood properly as it should, so the body isn’t getting the proper oxygen, the proper nutrients and proper blood going throughout the body. At this time there really is no cure,” says Teresa Moore, Area Manager, Heart and Stroke Foundation, Kamloops/Cariboo.

Heart disease is the number one killer among women, and the third largest killer among all Canadians. 1.3 million Canadians are living with heart disease, and every year 70,000 Canadians suffer a heart attack. It’s important to know the signs and symptoms, for both heart attack and stroke. 

“If the face is drooping, arms, can you raise both arms, speech, is it jumbled or slurred, [it’s] time to call 911 right away. It’s so important. The faster you get someone to the hospital when they’ve had a stroke, the easier the cure could be.”