Government Invests $2.9 million In Heart Research Projects

Cardiac Health reasearch

Cardiac Health reasearch

This month the Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health, announced an investment of almost $2.9 million to fund five research projects that will support new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat heart disease.

The investment from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research will fund five cutting-edge research projects:

  • Dr. David Birnie received over $600,000 to conduct the first study of its kind in the world to learn more about cardiac sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease that can cause sudden death.
  • Dr. Wenbin Liang received $577,000 to study how to develop more effective therapies for treating irregular heartbeats, a condition which affects over 1 million Canadians.
  • Dr. Ruth McPherson received $263,000 to research new ways to treat non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which affects around 20 per cent of Canadian adults and increases the risk of heart disease.
  • Dr. Katey Rayner received almost $980,000 to study how to diagnose and treat the buildup of plaque in the arteries before a heart attack happens.
  • Dr. Benjamin Rotstein received over $462,000 to develop new imaging techniques to identify plaque buildup in arteries which have the potential to lead to heart attack or stroke.

“We are committed to supporting world-class health research in Canada, including the important work being done at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute – one of our country’s top cardiac care and research facilities.”
– The Honourable Jane Philpott, Minister of Health

Here are the sobering numbers: More than 1.6 million Canadians have some form of heart disease. Heart disease is the second-leading cause of death in Canada after cancer. Nine in 10 Canadians over the age of 20 have at least one risk factor for heart disease. Four in 10 have three or more risk factors. 

We would like to see more of our tax dollars invested to help the millions of Canadians affected by heart disease, but we’re encouraged to see our Government acknowledge how important it is to fund this vital research.