Every five minutes, another Canadian dies from heart conditions, stroke or vascular cognitive impairment^7,8,9.

In fact, between 2015 and 2019 more than 50,000 Canadians died annually from diseases of the heart¹.

Heart disease is a type of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and is a phrase used to describe a variety of conditions that affect the heart's structure and function⁸.

CVD is a term for multiple diseases of the circulatory system, including the heart and blood vessels, whether the blood vessels are affecting the lungs, brain, kidneys or other parts of the body⁹.

However, vascular cognitive impairment is not a type of CVD, but rather an array of cognitive deficits, ranging from mild problems (attention deficits, forgetfulness) to more severe vascular dementia cause by a lack of oxygen to blood vessels in the brain⁷. Vascular cognitive impairment is often a further result of stroke damage; however, people with vascular cognitive impairment are also at increased risk of stroke. Heart conditions like atrial fibrillation, heart failure and coronary artery disease have been shown to have a moderate to strong association with vascular cognitive impairment. When the heart is not functioning properly it can cause decreased blood flow to the brain. Some conditions like atrial fibrillation and heart failure put people at significant risk for not just stroke, but also premature cognitive decline⁷.

Our goal is to reduce deaths from CVD in Canada. To get there, we're committed to taking action that creates powerful change, and gives a voice to those affected by these diseases.

Together, we can save more Canadian lives, keep more Canadian families together and ease the burden on caregivers.