Heart Niagara's mandate is to empower people in our community to take control of their heart health. Fourteen programs and services are delivered across Niagara including CPR and AED training, diagnostic services, Healthy Daily Living, and the Healthy Heart Schools' Program.
The high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health concern for both health authorities and the general population. It is a leading cause of death and results in a considerable burden, in terms of illness, disability and economic costs.
Heart Niagaras Diagnostic service has contributed to the heart health of our community in a number of ways:
The service provides echocardiography and stress tests using state of the art equipment under the supervision of medical specialists to members of the public who are referred to Heart Niagara by their family physician, or a hospital emergency physician. The program was developed to support physician and hospital staffs that were facing challenges in timely access to testing in some cases.
Guidelines: recommend that anyone over 45 years of age who has any one of the risk factor (Smoking, Hypertension, High Cholesterol, Family History of Heart Attack and particularly Diabetes) undergo a stress test.
Research: has shown that two percent of Emergency Department chest pain patients who are discharged will present again within 30 days with a cardiac event.
The Diagnostic Program is located at the Allied Health Centre, 5673 North Street, First Floor attached to the Greater Niagara General Hospital site in Niagara Falls. Click here for Directions
Cancellation notices must be provided at least 24 hours in advance 905-358-5552
Patient Instructions for Stress and Echo Test
Referral Form
Physicians and nurse practitioners can fax a referral form directly to Heart Niagara 905-358-6033. Referral Form Include the following information: patient's health card number, date of birth, address and telephone number.
The physician of record will receive a copy of the report.
Any positive stress test will be sent for a further scan or angiogram by the internists; and then the patient is referred back to their family doctor or local cardiologist.
For further information on the program please contact our office at 905-358-5552 or email us at info@heartniagara.com
RISK FACTORS
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is an all-encompassing term covering a broad set of diseases with no single cause. What causes a healthy heart to become diseased can be attributed to numerous factors everything from a lifestyle of over-eating and inactivity to having any of several diseases of childhood that begin to weaken the heart in early years to a genetic or familial predisposition to CHD.
All people have varying levels of risk for developing CHD; some risks can be modified, while others cannot. In general, risks that can be targeted and improved upon are those associated with lifestyle choices: overweight/obesity, diet and nutrition, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, degree of physical activity, smoking, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, stress levels, and alcohol consumption. An estimated 70% of all deaths related to cardiovascular disease are due to such modifiable risk factors.
Other risk factors cannot be changed, including increasing age; previous heart attack; and heredity or family history, because those individuals with a close blood relative with CHD are more likely to develop CHD. Women who have had one heart attack have a high risk of experiencing a second one 43% of women surviving an MI who are 40 years or older will die from a second attack or underlying CHD within 5 years. Ethnicity also is a factor: black and Asian women have a greater risk of developing CHD (and stroke) than white women and there appears to be greater risk as well among other races. Racial and ethnic minority women also have higher mortality rates at younger ages than do white women. Part of this may be due to a higher prevalence of diabetes among minority women. Also, there are important issues relating to access to information and care for minority women.
Gender itself imposes risk, too. Beyond those already mentioned, more women than men will have a second MI within 6 years of the first; women with diabetes are 3 to 4 times more likely than men to develop CHD; and diabetes itself doubles the risk of a second MI in women.
The high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health concern for both health authorities and the general population. It is a leading cause of death and results in a considerable burden, in terms of illness, disability and economic costs.
Heart Niagaras Diagnostic service has contributed to the heart health of our community in a number of ways:
- By improving the range of preventative screening and diagnostic services for those at risk of cardiovascular disease
- By providing improved access to and use of state-of-the-art equipment for Niagara physicians
- By improving access to testing for patients through flexible scheduling
The service provides echocardiography and stress tests using state of the art equipment under the supervision of medical specialists to members of the public who are referred to Heart Niagara by their family physician, or a hospital emergency physician. The program was developed to support physician and hospital staffs that were facing challenges in timely access to testing in some cases.
Guidelines: recommend that anyone over 45 years of age who has any one of the risk factor (Smoking, Hypertension, High Cholesterol, Family History of Heart Attack and particularly Diabetes) undergo a stress test.
Research: has shown that two percent of Emergency Department chest pain patients who are discharged will present again within 30 days with a cardiac event.
The Diagnostic Program is located at the Allied Health Centre, 5673 North Street, First Floor attached to the Greater Niagara General Hospital site in Niagara Falls. Click here for Directions
Cancellation notices must be provided at least 24 hours in advance 905-358-5552
Patient Instructions for Stress and Echo Test Referral FormPhysicians and nurse practitioners can fax a referral form directly to Heart Niagara 905-358-6033. Referral Form Include the following information: patient's health card number, date of birth, address and telephone number.
The physician of record will receive a copy of the report.
Any positive stress test will be sent for a further scan or angiogram by the internists; and then the patient is referred back to their family doctor or local cardiologist.
For further information on the program please contact our office at 905-358-5552 or email us at info@heartniagara.com
RISK FACTORS
Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is an all-encompassing term covering a broad set of diseases with no single cause. What causes a healthy heart to become diseased can be attributed to numerous factors everything from a lifestyle of over-eating and inactivity to having any of several diseases of childhood that begin to weaken the heart in early years to a genetic or familial predisposition to CHD.
All people have varying levels of risk for developing CHD; some risks can be modified, while others cannot. In general, risks that can be targeted and improved upon are those associated with lifestyle choices: overweight/obesity, diet and nutrition, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, degree of physical activity, smoking, hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, stress levels, and alcohol consumption. An estimated 70% of all deaths related to cardiovascular disease are due to such modifiable risk factors.
Other risk factors cannot be changed, including increasing age; previous heart attack; and heredity or family history, because those individuals with a close blood relative with CHD are more likely to develop CHD. Women who have had one heart attack have a high risk of experiencing a second one 43% of women surviving an MI who are 40 years or older will die from a second attack or underlying CHD within 5 years. Ethnicity also is a factor: black and Asian women have a greater risk of developing CHD (and stroke) than white women and there appears to be greater risk as well among other races. Racial and ethnic minority women also have higher mortality rates at younger ages than do white women. Part of this may be due to a higher prevalence of diabetes among minority women. Also, there are important issues relating to access to information and care for minority women.
Gender itself imposes risk, too. Beyond those already mentioned, more women than men will have a second MI within 6 years of the first; women with diabetes are 3 to 4 times more likely than men to develop CHD; and diabetes itself doubles the risk of a second MI in women.