February is Heart & Stroke Month across Canada.

03 Feb February is Heart & Stroke Month across Canada.

You’re in my heart… always!

Did you know that every 7 minutes in Canada, someone dies from heart disease or stroke?  Heart disease and stroke are two of the three leading causes of death in Canada.*  February is National Heart and Stroke Month and we encourage everyone to learn more about heart disease and stroke, the signs and your risk factors.

In 2008, of all cardiovascular deaths:

–  54% were due to ischemic heart disease

–  20% to stroke

–  23% to heart attack

Heart disease and stroke costs the Canadian economy more than $20.9 billion every year in physician services, hospital costs, lost wages and decreased productivity.  But the biggest impact is on the families and caregivers of those affected by these diseases.

Heart disease and stroke take 1 in 3 Canadians before their time

and it is the #1 killer of women.

To find out more, please visit the Heart and Stroke Foundation website.  It’s an excellent resource filled with information and support.    You’re also invited to take a Risk Assessment here (copy and paste the URL into your browser):  https://ehealth.heartandstroke.ca/heartstroke/hsra/?LID=1&pgSrc=risk_hsfhomepage

If you have any info you would like to share with us, please send an email at bramptonmealsonwheels@bellnet.ca.  We thank you for your feedback and for being here every week.

Georgia Mouka, Volunteer Blogger at Brampton Meals on Wheels

*These statistics are based on 2008 data (the latest year available from Statistics Canada).