Prevention, Education & Cardiac Rehabilitation ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR HEART? Cardiac Rehab can help Cardiac Health Foundation Of Canada 901 Lawrence Ave. W. Suite 306 Toronto, Ontario M6A 1C3 Telephone: 416-730-8299 Fax: 416-730-0421 [email protected] www.CardiacHealth.ca www.WalkOfLife.ca Prevention, Education & Cardiac Rehabilitation Cardiac Health Foundation Of Canada is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting cardiac rehabilitation and the advocacy of prevention and education across Canada. CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAM If you have had a cardiovascular event, or if you have 3 or more of the following risk factors for cardiovascular disease, ask your doctor for a referral to a Cardiac Rehab Centre near you. • High blood pressure • • High cholesterol • Family history of heart disease •Smoking Unhealthy diet Cardiac Rehab is designed for people who have experienced a cardiac event, such as a heart attack or stroke, or are born with congenital heart disease. The program encourages patients to make lifestyle adjustments, such as diet, exercise and taking cholesterol-lowering medications according to directions in order to reduce the risks of subsequent heart attacks and death from other causes. To participate in a Cardiac Rehab program you must have a physician referral. Benefits of Cardiac Rehab: • Improves exercise ability and strength •Obesity • Improves psychosocial well-being and reduces stress • • Decreases cardiovascular morbidity • Reduces blood glucose and blood fat levels Physical inactivity •Diabetes CHOLESTEROL AND HEALTHY LIVING HEART WISE EXERCISE PROGRAM According to Statistics Canada, approximately 40% of Canadian adults are classified as having high blood cholesterol levels. High blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. By lowering your cholesterol, you can dramatically reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. The Heart Wise Exercise program enables individuals with cardiovascular disease who have graduated from a cardiac rehabilitation program, or those with/or at risk for developing a chronic or cardiovascular disease to exercise in a safe environment with specially trained exercise leaders. The Canadian Cardiovascular Society treatment guidelines recommend cholesterol screening if you: The Heart Wise Exercise programs allow you to work at an intensity that suits your needs, and: • Are male and over 40 years of age • Have diabetes or high blood pressure • Encourages regular, daily aerobic exercise • Are female and over 50 years of age and/or post-menopausal • Are overweight or obese • • Are a smoker Incorporates warm up, cool down and self-monitoring with all exercise sessions Ethnic groups (i.e., First Nations or South Asian) are at increased risk, and consideration should be given to screening at an earlier age • Have a family history of heart disease or stroke • Allows participants to exercise at a safe level and offers options to modify intensity • Accepts patients with a cardiac disease • Offers health screening for all participants • Has an emergency plan with trainers certified in CPR and the presence of a defibrillator • DID YOU KNOW? Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), a genetic disease, causes early heart attacks. Heterozygous FH, the most common form, affects approximately 1 in 500 Canadians, and as many as 1 in 270 French Canadians. In Canada, 90% of people with FH have not been properly diagnosed. For more information about Cardiac Rehab or Heart Wise Exercise, including locations near you, please call 416-730-8299 or visit www.CardiacHealth.ca.