Statistics from the Canadian Institute of Health Information and Statistics Canada paint a grim picture of the state of heart disease within the Miramichi region.

“We can easily rate ourselves number one in this category,” says Dr. Rob Boulay, Miramichi family physician and chairperson of the Miramichi Regional Health Authority’s Professional Advisory Committee (PAC). 

He says data indicate Miramichiers are leading the way in the majority of risk factors for heart disease such as smoking, inactivity, and diabetes, and have higher than national average rates for high blood pressure, low vegetable and fruit consumption, and being overweight. 

“Within New Brunswick, the region serviced by the Miramichi Regional Health Authority has the highest rate of heart attacks and stroke thus making the Miramichi a leader in heart disease.”

“This is not a statistic the Miramichi region should be proud of,” says Dr. Boulay. 

He says that on a daily basis in his practice, he sees many patients who either have risk factors associated with heart disease or have had a heart attack. 

“These risk factors are occurring in patients at a much lower age than in the past.” 

He attributes this high rate to poor lifestyle that includes smoking, inactivity, unhealthy diets, obesity, and diabetes.

Unfortunately, Miramichi is not unique. Approximately 79,000 Canadians die from heart disease and stroke each year and heart disease and stroke remains the number one killer of both men and women in Canada. Statistics from the Miramichi Regional Health Authority support these findings as stroke is the leading diagnosis for males, and congestive heart failure and stroke is ranked third for females.

How can this trend be reversed?

The good news is that the trend can be reversed with a few simple lifestyle changes.

“We need to focus our efforts on preventing these risk factors,” says Dr. Boulay. 

This means quitting smoking, eating a wider variety of foods, get moving, and regularly monitoring blood cholesterol and blood pressure.  He recommends that residents speak to their family doctors about a plan of action to get them started. 

“It can be as simple as taking a five minute walk each day and then increasing the distance over time.”

“The time to take action is now.  We only have one shot at life and we should make the most of it.” 

Dr. Boulay challenges the residents of the Miramichi to take action to fight heart disease and reverse the trend.

Watch for the next article about the innovative and groundbreaking Miramichi Nutritional Action for Nutritional Guidance (MANGO) program that is being initiated by the dietitians of the Miramichi Regional Health Authority. This community-based program is designed to assist the residents of the Miramichi region to attain healthier and more active lifestyles.

For more information about heart disease contact:

·        Your family physician

·         Heart and Stroke Foundation of New Brunswick 
110 Crown Street Suite 340
Saint John, New Brunswick E2L 2X7
Telephone (506) 634-1620 or 1-800-663-3600
Fax (506) 648-0098
heart.strokemail@nb.aibn.com

http://www.heartandstroke.ca/

·        Health Canada

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/diseases/heart.html

Heart Health Facts

·        Over one-third (36%) of all deaths in Canada (1999) were due to heart disease and stroke

·        80.2% of Canadians (20-59 yrs) have at least one of the following risk factors for heart disease or stroke: daily smoking, physical inactivity, being overweight, self-reported high blood pressure or self-reported diabetes.

·        39,134 women (37% of all deaths) and 39,808 men (35% of all deaths) died of heart disease and stroke in 2000.

·        In Canada, the number of deaths from cerebrovascular disease is expected to increase among women until 2015, and then plateau.  Deaths are projected to increase among men through to 2025.

·        Heart disease and stroke combined are the number one cause of hospitalization among men and women in Canada (18% of hospitalizations in 200-2001).

·        Among cardiovascular diseases, stroke was the second largest contributor to hospital care costs for CVD ($714.4 million; 17.2% of CVD hospital costs).